This textbook reflects Michael Passer and Ron Smith’s experiences as faculty who have taught the introductory psychology course several dozen times. As undergraduates, both author’s interest in becoming a psychology major was sparked by instructors who brought the introductory course to life. Four goals have remained with the authors ever since and influence their writing of this text:

• To show students that the world of behavior is fascinating;
• To help students think critically and analytically about behavior, and to dispel common myths;
• To convey the intellectual excitement of studying behavior with scientific rigor;
• To apply knowledge obtained from scientific inquiry to real-world problems

Users and reviewers of Passer and Smith’s text overwhelmingly praise the authors for succeeding at these goals!