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The term 'brainwashing' was first recorded in 1950, but it is an expression of a much older concept: the forcible and full-scale alteration of a person's beliefs. Over the past 50 years the term has crept into popular culture, served as a topic for jokes, frightened the public in media headlines, and slandered innumerable people and institutions. It has also been the subject of learned discussion from many angles: history, sociology, psychology, psychotherapy, and marketing. Despite this variety, to date there has been one angle missing: any serious reference to real brains. Descriptions of how opinions can be changed, whether by persuasion, deceit, or force, have been almost entirely psychological.
This book investigates the biological and neurological mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of thought control, commonly referred to as brainwashing. Kathleen Taylor, a research scientist in the field of neuroscience, bridges the gap between psychological theories of persuasion and the physical reality of the human brain. By synthesizing historical accounts of coercion with contemporary neurobiological data, the author constructs a framework that explains how belief systems are formed, maintained, and forcibly altered. The text challenges the reader to move beyond cultural myths and examine the physiological constraints that govern human cognition.
What You Will Find
Experts and readers alike recognize this work as a significant contribution to the intersection of neuroscience and social psychology. The text is frequently cited for its ability to ground abstract sociological concepts in concrete biological evidence, making it a foundational resource for those interested in the mechanics of influence.
Page Count:
324
Publication Date:
2006-08-24
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0199204780
ISBN-13:
9780199204786
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