51爆料

This handbook comprehensively introduces the latest psychological knowledge on sensation and perception. After the publication history starting from the first edition of the same title (1969) to “New Edition” (1994), and “New Edition Part 2” (2007), a project to release a new edition was launched. Approximately 150 experts in each research field wrote their manuscripts from scratch, ultimately providing outstanding contributions to this completely new handbook, the “Third Edition” (2025).
 
This book consists of “General” (approx. 250 pages), “Vision” (approx. 730 pages), “Audition” (approx. 220 pages), “Somatosensation” (approx. 200 pages), “Vestibular Functions (sense of balance)” (approx. 50 pages), “Smell” (approx. 60 pages), “Taste” (approx. 120 pages), and “Time Perception” (approx. 50 pages). Throughout these fields, the book is designed to provide topics about cutting-edge research outcomes. Therefore, for general readers who have introductory knowledge of the science of the mind but are not familiar with specialized knowledge in each field, each chapter systematically explains the developments and discoveries to date, with necessary explanations of important keywords. The book format of B5 size, two-column layout, and 1,790 pages, as well as comprehensive indexing, reflects the book’s intended aim for use as a kind of encyclopedia specialized in the field of sensation and perception.
 
The psychology covered in this book is centered on the empirical basic psychology, which estimates the brain mechanisms from experimental data on perception. Although the title refers to psychology, the book also incorporates different viewpoints in associated disciplines such as physiology, medicine, ergonomics, design, and education. Accordingly, while aiming to systemically theorize how cognitive functions that enable sensation and perception are established, the book also describes how applied research in each field is being developed with the support of such outcomes of basic research.
 
In the editing process, we tried to provide a large number of figures and tables, including color illustrations, as graphical hallmarks of specific concepts described in the main text, thereby enabling the reader to understand the specialized content as intuitively as possible. To prevent any confusion, particular care was also taken regarding the naming so that each important keyword would be unified whenever possible. In addition, in accordance with the standard of reviews in academic journals, each chapter provides numerous in-text citations to representative research articles, which would serve as academic playlists.
 
As a new option that was not in the previous editions, the book can also be obtained as an e-book in addition to the hardcover. This option frees the reader from the bulky (20 × 27 × 5.5 cm) and heavy (about 2.5 kg) physical properties of the book, and interested readers can enjoy this cutting-edge academic world, anytime and anywhere.
 

(Written by MURAKAMI Ikuya, Professor, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology / 2025)