Chaos and Complexity in Psychology: The Theory of Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

While many books have discussed methodological advances in nonlinear dynamical systems theory (NDS), this volume is unique in its focus on NDS’s role in the development of psychological theory. After an introductory chapter covering the fundamentals of chaos, complexity, and other nonlinear dynamics, subsequent chapters provide in-depth coverage of each of the specific topic areas in psychology. A concluding chapter takes stock of the field as a whole, evaluating important challenges for the immediate future. The chapters are written by experts in the use of NDS in each of their respective areas, including biological, cognitive, developmental, social, organizational, and clinical psychology. Each chapter provides an in-depth examination of theoretical foundations and specific applications and a review of relevant methods. This edited collection represents the state of the art in NDS science across the disciplines of psychology.

Stephen J. Guastello is Professor of Psychology at Marquette University, where his teaching and research specialize in industrial-organizational psychology, human factors engineering and ergonomics, and statistics. He is the author of Chaos, Catastrophe, and Human Affairs, Managing Emergent Phenomena, and Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics and is the founding editor of the journal Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences.

Matthijs Koopmans is an officer of educational research and evaluation at the Academy for Educational Development, Center for School and Community Services in New York. He has published papers in the journal Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences and served as president of the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and Life Sciences from 2005 to 2007.

David Pincus is an Assistant Professor in the psychology department at Chapman University, California, where his teaching, clinical and research interests focus on applications of nonlinear dynamical systems theory to understanding interpersonal processes underlying healthy exchanges of information. He is the author of Guided Imagery for Pain Management and is co-executive producer and writer of - and appears in - Life Right for Kids, a video-based program aimed at helping families address child weight-management.