Psychophysiology

In our high-speed culture, terms like "stressed-out", "Type-A personality", "biofeedback", and "relaxation response" have become commonplace. In the 1990s more than ever before, we are aware of the relationship between our mental and emotional states and our physical well-being. Findings from the field of psychophysiology, which investigates the reflexive interaction between psychology and physiology, have revised our approach to illness and its prevention and treatment. We know, for example, that stress, combined with other factors, increases vulnerability to heart attack and stroke. Successful treatment must include lifestyle changes to reduce the effects of stress on the body. In this text, Kenneth Hugdahl presents a comprehensive introduction to the history, methods and applications of psychophysiology and explores other areas concerned with the "mind-body interface" such as psychosomatic medicine, behavioural medicine, clinical psychology, psychiatry, neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience. By showing how social, behavioural, cognitive and emotional events are mirrored in physiological processes, he gives us an understanding of complex cognitive processes. This book illustrates psychophysiology's importance as a research and clinical tool and highlights its many contributions to the assessment and diagnosis of physical disorders. It also provides a framework for extending psychophysiological insights to other areas of psychology and neuroscience.