The Social Psychology of Health: Essays and Readings (NULL)

"The volume includes classic readings as well as more up-to-date selections, and most are engaging, interesting, and easy to read. . . . The volume editors do a wonderful job of explaining concepts in easy-to-understand language and provide useful examples that students should be able to relate to. Undergraduates should find this a fun and relevant book to read, and the essays should provide a good starting point for class discussions. . . . One strength of the book is the breadth. The volume editors obviously have extensive knowledge and different perspectives to bring to this area." -- Erika Westling

"The content of the individual essays and the introductions to the articles are thorough and very readable. Students will find them to be helpful orientations to the articles they are about to read. . . . The strength of this volume is the product of the disciplinary backgrounds of the authors. They have done a good job of actually drawing together into one volume significant articles from psychology, sociology, and to some extent, epidemiology and public health. This increases the range of the book. Most importantly from an educational standpoint, it supports an interdisciplinary approach to the social psychology of health." -- Dale D. Chitwood

William D. Marelich, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at California State University, Fullerton. He is also a lecturer at UCLA and a consulting statistician with the UCLA Health Risk Reduction Projects. Dr. Marelich received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University and was an NIMH post-doctoral fellow at UCLA. He teaches courses in health psychology, close relationships, and quantitative methods. His research interests include decision-making strategies in health and organizational settings, patient-provider interactions, interpersonal relationships, and statistical/methodological approaches in experimental and applied research. He surfs as a hobby for health and peace of mind.

Jeff S. Erger, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. He received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Iowa in 1997. He teaches courses in medical sociology, social psychology, and research methods. He has served as a University of Iowa Fellow and an NIMH post-doctoral fellow at UCLA and is now researching health care delivery to marginalized populations and the dynamics of communities in cyberspace. His research looks at the links between identity, community, and health. For his own health, he enjoys riding his bicycle and making chocolate truffles (but only once a year).