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 Contents vii

TRY IT The Heinz Dilemma 259 Social Relationships 277

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development 262 Emerging Adulthood 278
Prenatal Development and Infancy 264 EXPLAIN IT Why Are Peer Groups Important in Adolescence? 278
From Conception to Birth 264 Early and Middle Adulthood 279
Perceptual and Motor Development 267 Physical and Cognitive Changes 279
Temperament 268 Social Development 280
Attachment 268 APPLY IT Where Are You in the Career Development Process? 282
Early and Middle Childhood 271 Later Adulthood 283
Language Development 271 Physical and Cognitive Changes 283
Socialization 273 TRY IT Stereotypes about Later Adulthood 284
Gender Role Development 274 Social Adjustment 284
Adolescence 276 Successful Aging 285
Puberty and Sexual Behavior 276 Death and Dying 285

9 Motivation and Emotion 294

THINK ABOUT IT 295 Sexual Motivation 309

Explaining Motivation 295 Sexual Attitudes and Behavior 309
Foundations of Motivation 295 Sexual Desire and Arousal 311
Biological Approaches to Motivation 297 Sexual Orientation 312
EXPLAIN IT Why Are Dangerous Hobbies Appealing to Some Social Attitudes toward Gays and Lesbians 314
People? 299 Emotion 314
Behavioral and Social-Cognitive Approaches to Motivation 299 Theories of Emotion 314
TRY IT What Is Your n ACH? 301 Emotion and the Brain 317
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 302 Gender Differences in Emotion 318
Hunger 303 The Expression of Emotion 318
Internal and External Cues 303 TRY IT Recognizing Basic Emotions 319
Explaining Variations in Body Weight 305 APPLY IT The Quest for Happiness 321
Obesity and Weight Loss 305
Eating Disorders 307

10 Health and Stress 328

THINK ABOUT IT 329 Health and Illness 344

Sources of Stress 329 Coronary Heart Disease 344
The Life Events Approach 329 Cancer 346
TRY IT Finding a Life Stress Score 330 Gender and Health 346
Everyday Stressors 331 Ethnic Group Differences in Health 347
Stress in the Workplace 332 Lifestyle and Health 348
Social Sources of Stress 333 Smoking and Health 348
The Health-Stress Connection 335 APPLY IT Interpreting Health Information on the Internet 349
The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Illness 335 Alcohol Abuse 350
The Physiology of the Health-Stress Connection 337 Sexually Transmitted Diseases 351
Theories of Stress Response 338 TRY IT AIDS Quiz 354
Risk and Resilience 340 Diet and Exercise 355
EXPLAIN IT Why Do Pop Quizzes Facilitate Learning? 341 Alternative Medicine 356
TRY IT How Resilient Are You? 343
viii Contents

11 Personality Theory and Assessment 363

THINK ABOUT IT 364 Nature, Nurture, and Personality Traits 376

Psychoanalytic Theories 364 Personality and Culture 377
Freud’s Theory of Personality 364 Social-Cognitive Theories 378
The Psychosexual Stages of Development 366 The Situation–Trait Debate 378
Evaluating Freud’s Contribution 368 Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control 379
The Neo-Freudians 368 TRY IT What Is Your Locus of Control? 379
Humanistic Theories 370 EXPLAIN IT How Personality Theories Answer the Question, “Why Do
Two Humanistic Theories 370 Some People Fail to Develop a Conscience?” 380
Self-Esteem 371 Personality Assessment 381
TRY IT How High Is Your Self-Esteem? 372 Observation, Interviews, and Rating Scales 381
Trait Theories 372 Personality Inventories 382
Early Trait Theories 372 APPLY IT Put Your Best Foot Forward 383
The Five-Factor Model 374 Projective Tests 385

12 Psychological Disorders 392

THINK ABOUT IT 393 EXPLAIN IT How Do Cultural Beliefs about Ideal Emotional States
Defining Psychological Disorders 393 Lead to Depression? 406
What Is Abnormal Behavior? 393 Suicide and Race, Gender, and Age 406
Classifying and Tracking Psychological Disorders 395 Schizophrenia 407
Explaining Psychological Disorders 396 Symptoms of Schizophrenia 407
Anxiety Disorders 397 Explaining Schizophrenia 408
Panic Attacks, Agoraphobia, and Panic Disorder 398 Somatic Symptom, Dissociative, Gender, and
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder Personality Disorders 411
(Social Phobia), and Specific Phobia 399 Somatic Symptom Disorders 411
APPLY IT Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking 400 Dissociative Disorders 412
TRY IT Phobia Names 401 Sexual Dysfunctions 413
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder 401 Personality Disorders 413
Depressive and Bipolar Disorders 403 Childhood Disorders 415
Major Depressive Disorder 403 Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder 415
Bipolar Disorders 403 Autism Spectrum Disorder 416
Explaining Depressive and Bipolar Disorders 404 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 417

13 Therapies 425

THINK ABOUT IT 426 Behavior Therapies Based on Other Learning Theories 431
Insight Therapies 426 TRY IT A Possible Hierarchy of Fears 432
Psychodynamic Therapies 426 Cognitive Behavior Therapies 434
Humanistic Therapies 427 Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy 434
Gestalt Therapy 428 Beck’s Cognitive Therapy 435
Relationship Therapies 429 Biomedical Therapies 436
Family Therapy and Couple Therapy 429 Drug Therapy 437
Group Therapy 429 EXPLAIN IT Why Are Smoking Rates So High among People
Behavior Therapies 430 with Schizophrenia? 438
Behavior Modification Techniques Based on Operant Electroconvulsive Therapy 440
Conditioning 430 Psychosurgery 441
 Contents ix

Practical Issues in Psychotherapy 442 Culturally Sensitive Therapy 444

Choosing a Therapist 442 Gender-Sensitive Therapy 445
APPLY IT Is E-therapy Right for You? 443 Evaluating the Therapies 445

14 Social Psychology 453

THINK ABOUT IT 454 Social Roles 468

Social Cognition 454 Attitudes and Attitude Change 469
Impression Formation and Management 454 Attitudes 469
Attribution 456 Cognitive Dissonance 470
Attraction 458 Persuasion 471
Factors Influencing Attraction 458 Prosocial Behavior 472
Intimate Relationships 459 Reasons for Helping 473
TRY IT Choosing a Life Partner 459 The Bystander Effect 473
Conformity, Obedience, and Compliance 461 Aggression 474
Conformity 461 Biological Factors in Aggression 474
Obedience 462 Other Influences on Aggression 475
Compliance 464 The Social Learning Theory of Aggression 476
Group Influence 465 Prejudice and Discrimination 477
Social Facilitation and Social Loafing 465 The Roots of Prejudice and Discrimination 477
Group Decision Making 467 Is Prejudice Decreasing? 479
EXPLAIN IT Why Doesn’t Groupthink Occur in Every APPLY IT “Unlearning” Prejudice 480
Tightly Knit Group? 468

APPENDIX: Statistical Methods AP-1 Answers to Study Guide Questions AN-1

Descriptive Statistics AP-1 Glossary G-1
Describing Data with Tables and Graphs AP-1 References R-1
Measures of Central Tendency AP-3 Credits C-1
Name Index NI-1
Measures of Variability AP-4
Subject Index SI-1
The Normal Curve AP-4
The Correlation Coefficient AP-5
Inferential Statistics AP-7
Statistical Significance AP-8
 Preface
Why Do You Need This New Edition?
1. Enhanced Pedagogical Program. The SQ3R learning method continues
to be the pedagogical foundation of Mastering the World of Psychology.
In this edition, we have added new section reviews to encourage
retrieval practice. We have made the instructions for SQ3R clearer and
more concise and the Pearson eText contains an SQ3R study guide for
each chapter to assist you in using this pedagogical method for effective
studying.
2. MyPsychLab Video Series. This new series features over 100 original
video clips covering the most recent research, science, and appli-
cations across the general psychology curriculum and utilizing the
latest in ilm and animation technology. Each 4–6 minute video
clip has automatically graded assessment questions tied to it.
As you read, you will see cues that tell you which of these videos
to watch to better grasp the concepts in the text or extend your
learning beyond it. The information in one of the Chapter 1 videos,
Debunking Myths, will help you put aside a few misconceptions
that most people have about behavior and mental processes. One
of the videos for Chapter 6, Making It Stick, will tell you how to
sharpen your memory skills.
3. New Remember It Feature. At the end of each major section of each
chapter, you will see a feature called Remember It that will help you
assess how much information you retained while reading the section.
Most of the questions in the Remember Its are ill-in-the-blank, so
they’ll challenge your memory and help you get ready to be tested.
4. New MyPsychLab Writing Assignments. Writing prompts in
MyPsychLab provide instant feedback and give you the oppor-
tunity to practice writing while learning important psychological
concepts. A collection of conceptual and applied writing prompts
corresponding with videos from the MyPsychLab Video Series
cover key concepts across the general psychology curriculum.
This unique tool will give you instant feedback on both content
and mechanics, allowing you to revise and improve your writing
before receiving a inal grade from your instructor.
5. New and Expanded Coverage. There is a wide range of new and
expanded topics (including several hundred new research citations)
covered in this edition, including, but not limited to, positive
psychology (Chapter 1); the prefrontal cortex (Chapter 2); social
perception (Chapter 3); “larks” and “owls” (Chapter 4); additive
strategy for decision making (Chapter 7 emerging adulthood
(Chapter 8); the complexities underlying correlations between
socioeconomic status and health (Chapter 10); Maslow’s human-
istic theory of personality (Chapter 11); and childhood disorders
(Chapter 12). Please see the overview of changes and additions to
each chapter on page xiii.
As psychology instructors, your backgrounds, experiences, and
resources are as varied as those of your students. Each of you
approaches the course with a unique set of challenges but with
common goals: to provide students with a solid introduction to the
diverse field of psychology; to show them how psychology applies
to their lives; and to teach them how to think critically. We have
designed the fifth edition of Mastering the World of Psychology to
help you meet these goals.
x
Changes to the Fifth Edition
As with each edition, we have closely examined and thoroughly
updated all aspects of the text’s content, organization, and pedagogy.
All of our revisions were designed to create an engaging learning
tool that gives students the support they need to succeed in the
course. Among the improvements made to the fifth edition are the
following:
▪ Enhanced Pedagogical System: SQ3R continues to be the
pedagogical foundation of Mastering the World of Psychology. In
the fifth edition, we have enhanced the SQ3R method by adding
Remember It quizzes following each major section in the text.
This helps students to periodically check their understanding of
the material and to ensure they have mastered one section before
moving on to the next.
▪ Critical Thinking Questions: We have added several writing
prompts at the end of each chapter to encourage students to think
critically about the material presented in the chapter. In each
chapter, at least one of the prompts comes from the MyPsychLab
Writing Assignments engine, which allows students to submit
their responses for automated grading. This unique tool provides
students with instant feedback on both content and mechanics,
allowing them to revise and improve their writing before receiving
a final grade from the instructor. Instructors are supplied with a
numerical grade. In this way, Mastering the World of Psychology
allows instructors the flexibility to incorporate writing in their
course in the way that best suits their needs.
▪ New Try-It Activities: Some chapters contain new Try It activities,
many of which have accompanying video clips.
▪ New Video Integration: References to relevant videos have
been added to many of the feature boxes and in the margins
throughout the text. These videos can be accessed on MyPsychLab
or by clicking on the image in the etext. These videos enhance the
material in the text and within the boxes, and allow students to
experience and interact with the material in a different way.
▪ Engaging, Current Examples: To ensure that students identify
with the material, examples have been updated and/or added
throughout the text to both help students understand the material
and to apply the material to their everyday lives.
Overview of Changes and Additions
to Each Chapter
We have made a number of changes to improve the clarity of the
discussions and overall flow of material. A number of new and
expanded examples of difficult concepts provide students with addi-
tional support for connecting information in the text to real-world
settings. We also increased the number of chapter cross-references in
the text to heighten students’ awareness of interconnections among
the major concepts that are taught in introductory psychology. We
remain dedicated to citing current research and writing the most
up-to-date text possible, while promoting an understanding of the
foundation of psychology. Several hundred new research citations
appear in the fifth edition to ensure that all presentations reflect
 Preface xi

current thinking about the science of psychology. Here is a chapter- Chapter 4: Consciousness
by-chapter list of the changes we have made in the fifth edition, ▪ New Think About It: Are You a Lark or an Owl?
along with the, MyPsychLab Video Series episodes and features for
each chapter: ▪ New discussion of the contribution of individual differences in
patterns of cortisol secretion to chronotypes (larks and owls)
Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology ▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ Streamlined SQ3R instructions
▪ States of Consciousness
▪ New key term positive psychology
▪ Rhythms of Consciousness
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ Sleep, Memory, and Learning
▪ Debunking Myths ▪ Sleep Disorders
▪ Making It Stick ▪ Altered States of Consciousness
▪ Asking Tough Questions ▪ The Uses and Limitations of Hypnosis
▪ Diverse Perspectives
Chapter 5: Learning
▪ How to Answer Psychological Questions
▪ New Try It Conditioned Eye Blink
▪ Thinking Critically
▪ Expanded discussion of culture and punishment
▪ Speed Dating
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ Research Ethics
▪ What Does It Mean to Learn?
Chapter 2: Biology and Behavior
▪ Classical Conditioning
▪ Expanded discussion of the prefrontal cortex
▪ Operant Conditioning
▪ New figure depicting the prefrontal cortex
▪ Physical Punishment-You Decide!
▪ New Try It Mirror Tracing
▪ How to Make Healthier Choices
▪ New key term prefrontal cortex
▪ Learning Aggression
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ My Brain Made Me Do It Chapter 6: Memory
▪ How the Brain Works Part 1 ▪ New Think About It: Chunking
▪ Neurotransmitters ▪ New Try It Creating a False Memory
▪ How the Brain Works Part 2 ▪ New discussion of test anxiety as a context effect
▪ The Pre-Frontal Cortex: The Good, the Bad, the Criminal ▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ The Plastic Brain ▪ The Woman Who Cannot Forget
▪ Genetic Mechanisms and Behavioral Genetics ▪ Making It Stick
▪ Epigenetics ▪ When Memory Fails
▪ Genes, Evolution, and Human Behavior ▪ Do You Remember When…?
▪ Taking Control of Our Genes ▪ Police Line-Up

Chapter 3: Sensation and Perception Chapter 7: Cognition, Language, and Intelligence

▪ New Try It Absolute Threshold ▪ New Try It Using the Additive Strategy to Choose an Apartment
▪ New figure illustrating amplitude ▪ New discussion of costs and benefits of using heuristics
▪ New discussion of social perception ▪ New key term intellectual disability
▪ New discussion of cross-modal perception ▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ New key term mirror neuron system
▪ I Am, Therefore I Think
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ Mental Imagery: In the Mind’s Eye
▪ Taking in the World Around Us ▪ Making Choices
▪ Can Smells Alter Mood and Behavior? ▪ Changing Your Mind
▪ In Full Appreciation of the Cookie ▪ Multilingualism: Speaking Your Mind
▪ Managing Pain ▪ What Is Intelligence?
▪ The Myth of Multitasking ▪ Theories of Intelligence
▪ Recognizing Faces ▪ Intelligence Tests and Success
▪ Perceptual Magic in Art ▪ Intelligence Testing Then and Now
xii Preface

▪ How Resilient Are You? Chapter 11: Personality Theory and Assessment
▪ Intelligence Tests and Stereotypes ▪ New Think About It: What Is Your Personality Like?
▪ New Try It: Personal Self-Esteem Assessment
Chapter 8: Human Development
▪ New Try It: What Is Your Locus of Control?
▪ New Think About It: Emerging Adulthood
▪ Expanded coverage of Maslow’s humanistic theory of personality
▪ New Try It: The Heinz Dilemma
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ Gender dysphoria discussed in the context of typical gender
development ▪ What Is Personality?
▪ New discussion of emerging adulthood ▪ Personality Theories
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series ▪ Twins and Personality
▪ Different Perspectives on the World ▪ Measuring Personality
▪ How Thinking Develops ▪ Popular Personality Assessments
▪ Attachment ▪ Psychological Resilience
▪ Risky Behavior and Brain Development Chapter 12: Psychological Disorders
▪ Smart Babies by Design ▪ New discussion of DSM-5
▪ Parenting Styles and Socialization ▪ Terminology modified to conform to DSM-5
▪ Identity ▪ New section covering childhood disorders, including the pediatric
bipolar disorder controversy
Chapter 9: Motivation and Emotion ▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ What Does It Mean to Have a Mental Disorder
▪ Motivation and Emotion ▪ Living with a Disorder
▪ Theories of Emotion and Motivation ▪ Diagnosing Mental Disorders
▪ Detecting Lies
Chapter 13: Therapies
▪ Affective Forecasting
▪ New research on the effects of nicotine and transcranial magnetic
▪ Eating Disorders stimulation on symptoms of schizophrenia
▪ Meeting Our Needs ▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ The Power of Sex
▪ Therapies in Action
▪ Sex and Gender Differences
▪ Assessing Treatment Effectiveness
▪ Cultural Norms and Sexual Behavior
▪ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
▪ Sexual Orientation
▪ Finding a Therapist If You Need One
▪ Sexual Problems and Dysfunction
▪ The Dating Game Chapter 14: Social Psychology
▪ New research on the comparative persuasiveness of online and
Chapter 10: Health and Stress
television advertising, cross-cultural differences in attributions,
▪ New Try It: Personal Resilience Assessment and methodological problems with research on the influence of
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series violent video games on players’ behavior
▪ MyPsychLab Video Series
▪ Health Psychology
▪ Stress and Your Health ▪ The Social World
▪ Health Disparities ▪ Under the Inluence of Others
▪ Personality and Health ▪ Mental Shortcuts in a Social Context
▪ Reducing Stress, Improving Health ▪ Changing Attitudes and Behaviors
▪ The Challenge of Quitting Bad Health Habits ▪ Are Stereotypes and Prejudice Inevitable?
▪ Attraction
▪ Persuasion
 Preface xiii

Our Commitment to Learning: SQ3R

The text’s commitment to learning begins with the learning method called SQ3R. Made up
of five steps—Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review—this method serves as the foun-
dation for your students’ success. Introduced in Chapter 1, the SQ3R method is integrated
throughout the text to help students make the connection between psychology and life, while
promoting a more efficient way to approach reading, studying, and test taking.
Among the key learning features that promote use of the SQ3R method are the following:

Learning Objectives Each chapter

in this text is structured around specific
learning objectives. These numbered learning
objectives are stated as questions, because
research shows that open-ended questions
help readers locate critical information,
process it deeply, and commit it to mem-
ory. The learning objectives appear in each
chapter opener, in the margins of their cor-
responding sections, and again in the end-
of-chapter Summary, to help focus students’
attention on key information.

Key Terms Boldfaced key terms are

highlighted in the text and defined in the
margin on the page on which they first
appear. A complete list of key terms, with
page references, is supplied at the end of
the chapter, and a complete Glossary can be
found at the end of the text.

Summarize It These comprehensive

summary tables help consolidate major
concepts, their components, and their
relationships to one another, providing
students with a unique visual study tool.

Remember It These fill-in-the-blank quizzes appear

at the end of every major section in the text allowing
students to check their understanding of the material
before moving on to the next section in the chapter.
xiv Preface

Chapter Summary Organized around the learning objectives, each end-of-chapter

Summary provides a comprehensive study tool as well as a quick reference to the chapter’s
key terms, which are listed alphabetically by section.

Built-in Study Guide In addition

to all of the SQ3R features in the text,
each chapter concludes with a Study
Guide, featuring multiple-choice, true/
false, matching, critical thinking writ-
ing prompts, and application essay
prompts. Answers to the Study Guide
questions are located at the end of
the text.

Learning through Application

To gain a full understanding of psychology, it is vital that students apply the principles they
learn about in this course to their own life and the lives of others. We, the authors, have
designed five features to help students accomplish this goal.

Think About It Each chapter opens with a Think About It feature that encourages stu-
dents to become actively involved with the content right from the beginning of the chapter.
These openers will invite students to complete an activity (i.e., a quiz, an experiment) that
introduces the chapter content in a fun and an interesting way.
 Preface xv

Apply It This feature combines scientific research with practical advice to teach students
how to improve their study habits or handle challenging situations that may arise in their
personal, academic, or professional lives.

Try It This popular feature provides brief applied experiments, self-assessments, and
hands-on activities, which help personalize psychology, making it simple for students
to actively relate psychological principles to everyday life. For instance, students can find
their absolute threshold for hair movement (Chapter 3) or take a quiz to find their life stress
score (Chapter 10).
xvi Preface

Explain It This feature provides psychological explanations for some common everyday
occurrences. For instance, “What does your credit score mean, and how is it used by lenders?”
(Chapter 1) and “Why are some individuals drawn to dangerous hobbies like skydiving?”
(Chapter 9).

MyPsychLab Icons MyPsychLab icons—Watch, Listen, Explore, and Simulate—are

integrated throughout the text in the margins—these icons highlight specific MyPsychLab
assets that can be found online.
To access MyPsychLab, simply go to www.mypsychlab.com and enter your login name
and password. First-time users of MyPsychLab can buy access here as well.

A Complete Teaching and Learning Program
We have created a complete collection of resources for the fifth
edition that will help you prepare for class, enhance your course pre-
sentations, and assess your students’ understanding of the material.
MyPsychLab (www.mypsychlab.com). MyPsychLab is an online
homework, tutorial, and assessment program that truly engages stu-
dents in learning. It helps students better prepare for class, quizzes,
and exams—resulting in better performance in the course. It provides
educators a dynamic set of tools for gauging individual and class per-
formance. And, MyPsychLab comes from Pearson—your partner in
providing the best digital learning experiences.
MyPsychLab for Mastering the World of Psychology, Fifth Edition
contains the following learning tools and resources:
▪ An Interactive eBook with highlighting and note-taking features
and powerful embedded media including over 100 simulations,
more than 3,000 video clips (available in closed caption), dozens
of podcasts, and an interactive timeline that presents the history of
psychology.
▪ Customized Study Plans and Assessments allow students to take a
Pre-Test to self-assess how much they already know about the top-
ics in a section of the chapter they’re working on. These Pre-Tests
pair together with Post-Tests on the website to generate custom-
ized study plans and eBook self-assessments.
▪ New! MyPsychLab Writing Assignments give students the oppor-
tunity to practice writing while learning important psychological
concepts. A collection of conceptual and applied writing prompts
corresponding with videos from the MyPsychLab Video Series
cover key concepts across the general psychology curriculum. This
unique tool provides students with instant feedback on both con-
tent and mechanics, allowing them to revise and improve their
writing before receiving a final grade from the instructor.
▪ APA Learning Goals Assessment Bank: For instructors interested
in assessing their students progress against the APA Psychology
Learning Goals and Outcomes, we have provided a separate
bank of assessment items keyed specifically to those goals in
MyPsychLab.
▪ NEW! MyPsychLab Simulations allow students to participate in
online simulations of virtual classic psychology experiments and
research-based inventories, helping to reinforce what they are
learning in class and in their book.
▪ A Gradebook for Instructors as well as full course management
capabilities for instructors teaching online or hybrid courses are
included in the instructor version of MyPsychLab.
▪ Audio Files of Each Chapter benefit students who are blind and
others who prefer sound-based materials, and conform to ADA
guidelines.
▪ New! Visual Brain designed to help students better understand
neuroanatomy, physiology, and human behavior.
▪ Interactive Mobile-Ready Flash Cards of the key terms from the text
can be used by students to build their own stacks, print the cards, or
export their flashcards to their cell phones.
You decide the extent of integration, from independent self-
assessment for students to total course management. Students benefit
Preface xvii
from an easy-to-use site at which they can test themselves on key
content, track their progress, and create individually tailored study
plans. By transferring faculty members’ most time-consuming
tasks—content delivery, student assessment, and grading—to auto-
mated tools, MyPsychLab allows you to spend more quality time
with students.
Instructor’s Resource DVD: Bringing all of the fifth edition’s
instructor resources together in one place, the Instructor’s Resource
DVD contains the following resources:
▪ Hyperlinked Instructor’s Manual: The Instructor’s Manual gives
you unparalleled access to a huge selection of classroom-proven
assets. First-time instructors will appreciate the detailed introduc-
tion to teaching the introductory psychology course, with sug-
gestions for preparing for the course, sample syllabi, and current
trends and strategies for successful teaching. Each chapter offers
activities, exercises, assignments, handouts, and demos for in-class
use, as well as guidelines for integrating media resources into the
classroom and syllabus. The material is organized in an easy-to-use
Chapter Lecture Outline. A unique hyperlinking system allows for
easy reviewing of relevant sections and resources. The Instructor’s
Manual is also available for download from the Instructor’s
Resource Center at http://www.pearsonhighered.com/irc.
▪ Test Bank: Thoroughly revised and updated for the fifth edition,
the Test Bank contains over 2,500 multiple-choice, fill-in-the-
blank, short-answer, and essay questions, each referencing the
relevant page in the text. Rationales for the correct answer in the
conceptual and applied multiple-choice questions allow you to see
the logic of the questions when reviewing them, making it easier to
generate an answer key for your students if desired. Feedback from
customers indicates that this unique feature is useful for ensuring
quality and quick response to student queries. A two-page Total
Assessment Guide chapter overview makes creating tests easier by
listing all of the test items in an easy-to-reference grid. The Total
Assessment Guide organizes all test items by text section and ques-
tion type/level of difficulty. All multiple-choice questions are cat-
egorized as factual, conceptual, or applied. The Test Bank is also
available for download from the Instructor’s Resource Center at
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/irc.
▪ Interactive PowerPoint Slides: Available on the Instructor’s
Resource DVD, these slides bring the design of Mastering right
into the classroom, drawing students into the lecture and provid-
ing wonderful interactive activities and visuals. A video walk-
through is available and provides clear guidelines on using and
customizing the slides. The slides are built around the text’s
learning objectives and offer many links across content areas.
Icons integrated throughout the slides indicate interactive exer-
cises, simulations, and activities that can be accessed directly
from the slides if instructors want to use these resources in the
classroom.
▪ Standard Lecture PowerPoint Slides: These slides, presented
in a more traditional format with excerpts of the text material
and art work, are also available for download at http://www.
pearsonhighered.com/irc.
▪ Pearson MyTest Computerized Test Bank (www.pearsonmytest.
com): The fifth edition Test Bank comes with Pearson MyTest, a
powerful assessment-generation program that helps instructors easily
create and print quizzes and exams. You can do this online, allow-
ing flexibility and the ability to efficiently manage assessments at
any time. You can easily access existing questions and edit, create,
xviii Preface
and store questions using the simple drag-and-drop and Word-
like controls. Each question comes with information on its level
of difficulty and related page number in the text, mapped to
the appropriate learning objective. For more information, go to
www.PearsonMyTest.com.
▪ Classroom Response System (CRS) slides: Classroom Response
questions (“clicker” questions) created for Mastering the World
of Psychology, are intended to be the basis of class discussions as
well as lectures. Each student uses a personal remote or “clicker”
to send immediate communication to the instructor. The system
will gather the individual responses and show the compiled feed-
back for the class as a whole. Based on these results, you can then
tailor the pace of each lecture, further explain difficult concepts if
needed, and conduct in-class surveys, polls, and quizzes. Pearson
offers exclusive, money-saving rebates with several CRS leading
systems.
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nology. Each 4–6 minute video clip has automatically graded
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segments that bring psychology to life:
▪ The Big Picture introduces the topic of the episode and provides
the hook to draw students in.
▪ The Basics uses the power of video to present foundational top-
ics, especially those that typically trip up students.
▪ Special Topics dives deeper into high-interest and often
cutting-edge topics, and often features research in action.
▪ In the Real World focuses on applications of psychological
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▪ What’s in It for Me? These narrated segments emphasize why
students should care about the research and how it may have a
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Acknowledgments
We are thankful for the support of several people at Pearson
Education who helped bring our plans for the fifth edition of
Mastering the World of Psychology to fruition. On the editorial side,
Amber Chow monitored the progress of the text and ensured that the
final product is an introductory text that achieves the goal of being
thorough while also being timely and accessible. We are grateful for
the assistance of our developmental editor, LeeAnn Doherty, whose
suggestions and encouragement helped immeasurably in the pursuit
of this goal.
Our Reviewers Numerous reviewers were invaluable to the
development of this text. Their help provided a solid foundation for
creating Mastering the World of Psychology, Fifth Edition:
Mary Evans Pierce College ; Suzanne Weston Estrella Mountain
Community College; Alissa Minten Western Technical College;Dora
Falls Eastield College; Rick Piper Estrella Mountain Community
College; Wanda VanGilder Antelope Valley College; Ryan Messatzzia
Wor-Wic Community College; Staci Simmelink Johnson Walla Walla
Community College; Shawn Talbot Kellogg Community College;
Kevin Dooley San Diego City College; Cheryl Chopard Des Moines
Area Community College
We would also like to thank reviewers of the first four editions of
Mastering the World of Psychology for their encouragement and
insights:
Carol Anderson, Bellevue College; Bakhtawar Bhadha, Pasadena
City College; Dr. Ken Callis, Southeast Missouri State University;
Evelyn N. Doody, College of Southern Nevada ; Mary Christina
Evans, Pierce College; Cecilia Erlund, University of Mary Hardin-
Baylor; Hallie Feil, Western Nebraska Community College; Jamie
S. Hughes, New Mexico State University; Yasmine Kalkstein, North
Hennepin Community College; Eric Kim, Lane Community College;
Steve Kittrell, North Metro Technical College ; Holly Schofield,
Central Carolina Community College ; David Shepard, South
Texas College; Staci Simmelink-Johnson, Walla Walla Community
College; Debra M. Yoder, Mountain View College Elaine P. Adams,
Houston Community College ; David W. Alfano, Community
College of Rhode Island ; Jill Barton, Keiser College ; Kenneth
Benson, Hinds Community College; John Brennecke, Mount San
Antonio College; Robin Campbell, Brevard Community College;
Cari Cannon, Santiago Canyon College; Dennis Cogan, Texas Tech
University; Berry J. Daughenbaugh, Wor-Wic Community College;
Wayne Dixon, Southeastern Oklahoma State University ; Wendy
Domjan, University of Texas; Jim Dorman, St. Charles Community
College ; Laura Duvall, Heartland Community College ; Darlene
Earley-Hereford, Southern Union State Community College; Hallie
Feil, Western Nebraska Community College ; Joseph Feldman,
Phoenix College; Colleen L. Gift, Highland Community College;
Paula Goolkasian, UNC Charlotte; Chuck Hallock, University of
Arizona; Julie Hanauer, Suffolk Community College; Brett Heintz,
Delgado Community College ; Carmon Weaver Hicks, Ivy Tech
Community College; Alan Hughes, Nazareth College (New York);
Carolyn Kaufman, Columbus State Community College; Norman
E. Kinney, Southeast Missouri State University ; Leslee Koritzke,
Los Angeles Trade Technical College; Leslie Minor-Evans, Central
Oregon Community College ; Paulina Multhaupt, Macomb
Community College; Enrique Otero, North Lake College; Debra
Parish, North Harris Montgomery Community College ; Jeffrey
Pedroza, Santa Anna College ; Ralph Pifer, Sauk Valley College ;
Michelle Pilati, Rio Hondo College ; Cynthia Reed, Tarrant
County College Northeast ; Vicki Ritts, St. Louis Community
College, Meramec ; Amy Shapiro, University of Massachusetts,
Amherst; David Shepard, South Texas College; Jason Spiegelman,
Community College of Baltimore County ; Robert B. Stennett,
Gainesville State College; Robert Stickgold, Harvard University;
Lisa Valentino, Seminole Community College ; Edie Woods,
Macomb County Community College; Gayle Abbott, New Mexico
Junior College ; Christan Amundsen, North Lake College; Julie
Hanauer, Suffolk County Community College; Annette Jankiewicz,
Iowa Western Community College ; Warren Lambert, Somerset
Community College ; Amy Overman, Elon University ; Sandra
Todaro, Bossier Parish Community College

And, last, to all the instructors and students who have taken
time out of their busy lives to send along feedback about their
experiences teaching and studying from Mastering the World
of Psychology, we are grateful to you. Please feel free to write
drdeniseboyd@sbcglobal.net with your comments about the text.
List of Features
APPLY IT
More Tips for Effective Studying (Chapter 1)
Should You Consult a Genetic Counselor? (Chapter 2)
How Dangerous Is It to Talk on a Cell Phone or Text while
Driving? (Chapter 3)
How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (Chapter 4)
How to Win the Battle against Procrastination (Chapter 5)
Improving Memory (Chapter 6)
How to Build a Powerful Vocabulary (Chapter 7)
Where Are You in the Career Development Process? (Chapter 8)
The Quest for Happiness (Chapter 9)
Interpreting Health Information on the Internet (Chapter 10)
Put Your Best Foot Forward (Chapter 11)
Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking (Chapter 12)
Is E-therapy Right for You? (Chapter 13)
“Unlearning” Prejudice (Chapter 14)
TRY IT
What Is the Third Variable Problem? (Chapter 1)
Does Random Assignment Really Make Groups Equal? (Chapter 1)
A Balancing Act (Chapter 2)
Mirror Tracing (Chapter 2)
Absolute Threshold (Chapter 3)
Sensory Adaptation (Chapter 3)
A Negative Afterimage (Chapter 3)
Bottom-Up and Top-Down Processing (Chapter 3)
Lucid Dreaming (Chapter 4)
The Relaxation Response (Chapter 4)
Classical Conditioning (Chapter 5)
Using Behavior Modiication (Chapter 5)
Creating a False Memory (Chapter 6)
A Penny for Your Thoughts (Chapter 6)
Using the Additive Strategy to Choose an Apartment (Chapter 7)
Water Lily Problem (Chapter 7)
Find Your EQ (Chapter 7)
Conservation of Volume (Chapter 8)
The Heinz Dilemma (Chapter 8)
Stereotypes about Later Adulthood (Chapter 8)
What Is Your n Ach? (Chapter 9)
Recognizing Basic Emotions (Chapter 9)
Finding a Life Stress Score (Chapter 10)
How Resilient Are You? (Chapter 10)
AIDS Quiz (Chapter 10)
How High Is Your Self-Esteem? (Chapter 11)
What Is Your Locus of Control? (Chapter 11)
Phobia Names (Chapter 12)
A Possible Hierarchy of Fears (Chapter 13)
Choosing a Life Partner (Chapter 14)
Preface xix
EXPLAIN IT
What Is a Credit Score? (Chapter 1)
Why Are Most People Right-Handed? (Chapter 2)
Why Can’t Everyone Hear the “Mosquito” Ring Tone? (Chapter 3)
How Does the Brain Keep Track of Time? (Chapter 4)
How Do the Principles of Learning Explain the Behavior
of Smoking Cigarettes? (Chapter 5)
Why Is Cramming an Ineffective Study Method? (Chapter 6)
Why Do People Overestimate the Likelihood of Rare Events?
(Chapter 7)
Why Are Peer Groups Important in Adolescence? (Chapter 8)
Why Are Dangerous Hobbies Appealing to Some People?
(Chapter 9)
Why Do Pop Quizzes Facilitate Learning? (Chapter 10)
How Personality Theories Answer the Question, “Why Do Some
People Fail to Develop a Conscience?” (Chapter 12)
How Do Cultural Beliefs about Ideal Emotional States Lead to
Depression? (Chapter 11)
Why Are Smoking Rates So High among People with
Schizophrenia? (Chapter 13)
Why Doesn’t Groupthink Occur in Every Tightly Knit Group?
(Chapter 14)
SUMMARIZE IT
The Goals of Psychology (Chapter 1)
Contemporary Perspectives in Psychology (Chapter 1)
Research Methods in Psychology (Chapter 1)
Major Structures of the Visual System (Chapter 3)
Sleep Disorders (Chapter 4)
Theories of Hypnosis (Chapter 4)
The Effects and Withdrawal Symptoms of Some Psychoactive Drugs
(Chapter 4)
Reinforcement Schedules Compared (Chapter 5)
Classical and Operant Conditioning Compared (Chapter 5)
Cognitive Learning (Chapter 5)
Forgetting (Chapter 6)
Approaches to Decision Making (Chapter 7)
Theories of Intelligence (Chapter 7)
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development (Chapter 8)
Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development (Chapter 8)
Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development (Chapter 8)
Approaches to Motivation (Chapter 9)
Theories of Emotion (Chapter 9)
Theories of Stress Responses (Chapter 10)
Factors that Promote Resilience (Chapter 10)
Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development (Chapter 11)
Theories of Personality (Chapter 11)
Three Approaches to Personality Assessment (Chapter 11)
Five Perspectives on Psychological Disorders (Chapter 12)
Drugs Used to Treat Psychological Disorders (Chapter 13)
Summary and Comparison of Therapies (Chapter 13)
Possible Biological Causes of Aggression (Chapter 14)
 About the Authors
Samuel E. Wood (deceased) received his doctorate from the University of Florida.
He taught at West Virginia University and the University of Missouri–St. Louis and was a
member of the doctoral faculty at both universities. From 1984 to 1996, he served as presi-
dent of the Higher Education Center, a consortium of 14 colleges and universities in the
St. Louis area. He was a cofounder of the Higher Education Cable TV channel (HEC-TV) in
St. Louis and served as its president and CEO from its founding in 1987 until 1996.

Ellen Green Wood received her doctorate in educational psychology from St. Louis
University and was an adjunct professor of psychology at St. Louis Community College at
Meramec. She has also taught in the clinical experiences program in education at Washington
University and at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. In addition to her teaching, Dr. Wood
has developed and taught seminars on critical thinking. She received the Telecourse Pioneer
Award from 1982 through 1988 for her contributions to the field of distance learning.

Denise Boyd received her Ed.D. in educational psychology from the University of Houston
and has been a psychology instructor in the Houston Community College System since 1988.
From 1995 until 1998, she chaired the psychology, sociology, and anthropology department
at Houston Community College–Central. She has coauthored five other Pearson Allyn and
Bacon texts: With Samuel Wood and Ellen Green Wood, The World of Psychology (Seventh
Edition); with Helen Bee, Lifespan Development (Sixth Edition), The Developing Child
(Thirteenth Edition), and The Growing Child (First Edition); and with Genevieve Stevens,
Current Readings in Lifespan Development. A licensed psychologist, she has presented a
number of papers at professional meetings, reporting research in child, adolescent, and adult
development. She has also presented workshops for teachers whose students range from
preschool to college.

Together, Sam, Evie, and Denise have several decades of experience teaching introductory
psychology to thousands of students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Mastering the
World of Psychology, Fifth Edition, is the direct result of their teaching experience.

xx
 APA Correlation
The APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major MyPsychLab Content
APA Learning Book Learning Videos, Simulations,
Outcomes Number Learning Objective Objectives Book Features and Assessments
GOAL 1: Scientiic Inquiry and Critical Thinking

Understand scientiic reasoning and problem solving, including effective research methods.
1.1 Use 1.1a Identify basic biological, psychological, and 2.13, 2.14, 5.5 Chapter 2: Explain It: Simulations:
scientiic social components of behavioral explanations Why Are Most People Implicit Association Test:
reasoning (e.g., inferences, observations, operational Right-Handed? Cats and Dogs
to interpret deinitions, interpretations) Hemispheric Specialization
behavior Ambiguous Figures
Weber’s Law
1.1b Use psychology concepts to explain personal 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 Müller-Lyer Illusion
experiences and recognize the potential for Learning
laws in behavioral explanations based on Digit Span
simplistic, personal theories Serial Position Effect
1.1c Use an appropriate level of complexity to 1.9 Chapter 3: Try It: Depth of Processing
interpret behavior and mental processes A Negative Afterimage Mental Rotation
Selective Attention
1.1d Ask relevant questions to gather more 4.13, 10.17 Stroop Effect
information about behavioral claims Implicit Association Test: Food
1.1e Describe common fallacies in thinking 1.12, 3.18 Chapter 10: Try It: IPIP Neo Personality Inventory
(e.g., conirmation bias, post hoc explanations, AIDS Quiz
implying causation from correlation) that Video Series
impair accurate conclusions and predictions
Basics:
1.2 Demonstrate 1.2a Read and summarize general ideas and 4.10, 4.11, 7.6, Chapter 3: Explain It: Scientiic Research Methods
psychology conclusions from psychological sources 13.16 Why Can’t Everyone Hear
Thinking Like a Psychologist:
information accurately the Mosquito Ring Tone
literacy Thinking Critically
The Pre-Frontal Cortex: The Good,
1.2b Describe what kinds of additional information 3.19, 5.17 Chapter 7: Explain It: Why the Bad, and the Criminal
beyond personal experience are acceptable Do People Overestimate Evolutionary Psychology—Why We
in developing behavioral explanations (i.e., the Likelihood of Rare Do the Things We Do
popular press reports versus scientiic indings) Events? Can Smells Alter Mood
1.2c Identify and navigate psychology databases and Behavior?
and other legitimate sources of psychology The Uses and Limitations
information of Hypnosis
1.2d Articulate criteria for identifying objective 9.7 Police Line-Up
sources of psychology information Babies by Design
Speaking One’s Mind
1.2e Interpret simple graphs and statistical 5.4 Chapter 7: Try It: Using Intelligence Tests and Success
indings the Additive Strategy to Predicting Future Emotion
Choose an Apartment and Desire
Measuring Personality
Personality and Health
Assessing Treatment Effectiveness

(continued)

APA-1
APA-2 APA Correlation

(continued)
The APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major MyPsychLab Content
APA Learning Book Learning Videos, Simulations,
Outcomes Number Learning Objective Objectives Book Features and Assessments
1.3 Engage 1.3a Recognize and describe well-deined 6.7, 6.8 Chapter 2: Try It: In the Real World:
in innovative problems A Balancing Act Neurotransmitters
and integrative Taking Control of Our Genes
thinking and Pain Management
problem solving Sleep, Memory, and Learning
1.3b Apply simple problem-solving strategies 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 The Memories We Don’t Want
to improve eficiency and effectiveness Changing Your Mind
Eating Disorders
1.3c Describe the consequences of problem- Chapter 2: Try It: Putting Popular Personality
solving attempts Mirror Tracing Assessments to the Test
Sexual Problems and Dysfunction
Reducing Stress, Improving Health
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

1.4 Interpret, 1.4a Describe research methods used by psychol- 1.2, 1.10, 1.11, 7.4, What’s in It for Me?:
design, and ogists including their respective advantages 11.13 The Myth of Multitasking
conduct basic and disadvantages Perceptual Magic in Art and Movies
psychological Altered States of Consciousness
research How to Make Healthier Choices
1.4b Discuss the value of experimental design 1.13, 1.14 Chapter 1: Try It: Does Making It Stick
(i.e., controlled comparisons) in justifying Random Assignment Making Choices
cause-effect relationships Really Make Groups How Resilient Are You?
Equal? Meeting Our Needs
Psychological Resilience
1.4c Deine and explain the purpose of key 1.8 Chapter 1: Try It: What The Challenge of Quitting Bad
research concepts that characterize psycho- Is the Third Variable Health Habits
logical research (e.g., hypothesis, operational Problem? Finding a Therapist If You Need One
deinition)
1.4d Replicate or design and conduct simple Chapter 4: Try It: Lucid
scientiic studies (e.g., correlational or Dreaming; Chapter 6:
two-factor) to conirm a hypothesis based Try It: A Penny for Your
on operational deinitions Thoughts
1.4e Explain why conclusions in psychological 11.14, 11.15
projects must be both reliable and valid
1.4f Explain why quantitative analysis is relevant Chapter 7: Try It:
for scientiic problem solving Water Lily Problem
1.4g Describe the fundamental principles of 7.1
research design

1.5 Incorporate 1.5a Relate examples of how a researcher’s value 9.14

sociocultural system, sociocultural characteristics, and
factors in scien- historical context inluence the development
tiic inquiry of scientiic inquiry on psychological
questions
1.5b Analyze potential challenges related to 6.9
sociocultural factors in a given research
study
1.5c Describe how individual and sociocultural 1.15 Chapter 3: Try It:
differences can inluence the applicability/ Bottom-Up and Top-Down
generalizability of research indings Processing; Chapter 8:
Try It: The Heinz Dilemma
1.5d Identify under what conditions research Chapter 8: Try It:
indings can be appropriately generalized Conservation of Volume
 APA Correlation APA-3

The APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major MyPsychLab Content

APA Learning Book Learning Videos, Simulations,

Outcomes Number Learning Objective Objectives Book Features and Assessments
GOAL 2: Ethical and Social Responsibility
Develop ethically and socially responsible behaviors for professional and personal settings.
2.1 Apply 2.1a Describe key regulations in the APA Ethics 1.16 Simulations
ethical Code for protection of human or nonhuman Participating in a Research Survey
standards to research participants
psychological Video Series
science and
practice Special Topics:
2.1b Identify obvious violations of ethical 14.6 Chapter 6: Try It: Ethics and Psychological Research
standards in psychological contexts Creating a False Memory
2.1c Discuss relevant ethical issues that relect 5.3
principles in the APA Code of Ethics
2.1d Deine the role of the institutional
review board

2.2 Promote 2.2a Describe the need for positive personal 9.9 Chapter 8: Explain It: Simulations
values that values (e.g., integrity, benevolence, honesty, Why Are Peer Groups Implicit Association Test: Sexuality
build trust respect for human dignity) in building strong Important in Adolescence? Implicit Association Test: Prejudice
and enhance relationships with others
interpersonal Video Series
relationships
Thinking Like a Psychologist:
2.2b Treat others with civility 9.16, 13.14, 13.15 Physical Punishment—You Decide!
2.2c Explain how individual differences, social 9.6 Sexual Orientation
identity, and world view may inluence Changing Attitudes and Behaviors
beliefs, values, and interaction with others
and vice versa In the Real World:
2.2d Maintain high standards for academic Speed Dating
integrity, including honor code requirements Resolving Conlict
Socialization
Are Stereotypes and Prejudices
2.3 Adopt 2.3a Identify human diversity in its many forms 6.16, 6.17, 7.8, 8.8 Chapter 9: Explain It: Inevitable?
values and the interpersonal challenges that often Why Are Dangerous How Am I Being Inluenced?
that build result from the diversity Hobbies Appealing Learning Aggression
community at to Some People?
local, national, What’s in It for Me?:
and global Identity
levels The Dating Game
2.3b Recognize potential for prejudice 7.15, 9.12, 12.1, 14.7 Attraction
and discrimination in oneself and others Persuasion
2.3c Explain how psychology can promote 5.12, 5.13, 10.10 Chapter 14: Apply It:
civic, social, and global outcomes Unlearning Prejudice
that beneit others
2.3d Describe psychology-related issues 4.15, 5.9, 5.11, 8.18, Chapter 5: Explain It:
of global concern (e.g., poverty, health, 8.19, 8.20, 9.11, How Do the Principles
migration, human rights, international 10.12, 14.16, 14.17 of Learning Explain the
conlict, sustainability) Behavior of Smoking
Cigarettes?
2.3e Articulate psychology’s role in developing, 7.13, 7.14, 10.9
designing, and disseminating public policy
2.3f Accept opportunity to serve others through 14.14, 14.15
civic engagement, including volunteer service

(continued)
APA-4 APA Correlation

(continued)
The APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major MyPsychLab Content
APA Learning Book Learning Videos, Simulations,
Outcomes Number Learning Objective Objectives Book Features and Assessments
GOAL 3: Communication

Demonstrate competence in written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills and be able to develop and present a scientiic argument.
3.1 Demonstrate 3.1a Express ideas in written formats that relect 6.5, 6.6 Think About It, Remember It Writing Assignments
effective writing basic psychological concepts and principles
Diagnosing Anxiety
in multiple
Designing an Experiment
formats
Parts of the Brain on Pizza Night
3.1b Recognize writing content and format Think About It, Remember It Musical Talent as a Heritable Trait
differ based on purpose (e.g., blogs, memos, The Gestalt Perspective
journal articles) and audience Effects of Sleep Deprivation
3.1c Use generally accepted grammar Think About It, Remember It in College
Operant Conditioning
3.1d Describe how writing using APA writing style
and Weight Loss
is different from regular writing or writing
Memory and Study Strategies
in other conventions
Describing Thinking Patterns
3.1e Recognize and develop overall organization with Piaget’s Theory of
(e.g., beginning, development, ending) that Cognitive Development
its the purpose Mental Sets and Studying
3.1f Interpret quantitative data displayed 7.7 Chapter 1: Explain It: a Foreign Language
in statistics, graphs, and tables, including What Is a Credit Score? Exploring Gardner’s Types
statistical symbols in research reports of Intelligence
3.1g Use expert feedback to revise writing Describing Theories of Emotion
of a single draft Describing Theories of Personality
Comparing Gender Concepts
Analyzing Stress
3.2 Exhibit 3.2a Construct plausible oral argument based Assessing Work Environments
effective presen- on a psychological study and Motivation
tation skills in Discussing Prejudice
multiple formats and Discrimination
3.2b Deliver brief presentations within appropriate Chapter 12: Apply It: Considering Schizophrenia
constraints (e.g., time limit, appropriate Overcoming the Fear Comparing Psychotherapy
to audience) of Public Speaking Approaches
3.2c Describe effective delivery characteristics
of professional oral performance
3.2d Incorporate appropriate visual support
3.2e Pose questions about psychological content 2.1, 2.2, 4.14 Chapter 13: Explain It:
Why Are Smoking Rates
So High among People
with Schizophrenia?

3.3 Interact 3.3a Identify key message elements in

Effectively with communication through careful listening
Others
3.3b Recognize that culture, values, and biases 7.17
may produce misunderstandings in
communication
3.3c Attend to language and nonverbal cues 7.16 Chapter 7: Apply It:
to interpret meaning How to Build a Powerful
Vocabulary
3.3d Ask questions to capture additional detail
3.3e Respond appropriately to electronic Chapter 10: Apply It:
communications Interpreting Health
Information on the Internet
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Lo Stato e
l'istruzione pubblica nell'Impero Romano
 This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.

Title: Lo Stato e l'istruzione pubblica nell'Impero Romano

Author: Corrado Barbagallo

Release date: February 8, 2024 [eBook #72900]

Language: Italian

Original publication: Catania: Battiato, 1911

Credits: Barbara Magni and the Online Distributed Proofreading

Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced
from images made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LO STATO E

L'ISTRUZIONE PUBBLICA NELL'IMPERO ROMANO ***
LO STATO E L’ISTRUZIONE
PUBBLICA NELL’IMPERO
ROMANO
 CORRADO BARBAGALLO

LO STATO
E

L’ISTRUZIONE PUBBLICA
nell’Impero Romano

CATANIA
FRANCESCO BATTIATO, EDITORE
1911
 PROPRIETÀ LETTERARIA
Catania, Stab. Tip. Cav. S. Di Mattei & C.
INDICE
 INTRODUZIONE

L’istruzione pubblica in Europa è tutta creazione italica. Il più geniale

dei filologi francesi, Gastone Boissier ha illustrato mirabilmente, da
par suo, questo grandissimo, tra i meriti della nostra stirpe, nella
storia della civiltà umana: «Appena gli eserciti romani erano
penetrati nei paesi sconosciuti, vi si fondavano scuole; i retori vi
giungevano dietro le orme del generale vincitore, portando seco la
civiltà. La prima cura di Agricola, appena ebbe pacificata la
Britannia, fu di ordinare che ai figli dei capi s’insegnassero le arti
liberali.»
«Appena i Galli furon vinti da Cesare, si aperse la scuola di Autun.
Per farci intendere che presto non vi saranno più barbari e che gli
estremi paesi dal mondo si inciviliscono, Giovenale dice che nelle
più remote isole dell’Oceano, perfino a Thule, si pensa di far venire
un retore. La retorica conquistava il mondo nel nome di Roma, e i
Romani sentivano di doverle una grande riconoscenza e che l’unità
del loro impero si era fondata nella scuola. Popoli, che differivano fra
loro per l’origine, per la lingua, per le abitudini, per i costumi, non si
sarebbero mai così fusi insieme se l’educazione non li avesse
raccostati e riuniti. Ed essa vi riuscì in modo mirabile. Nell’elenco dei
professori di Bordeaux, quale Ausonio ce l’ha tramandato, noi
vediamo figurare insieme e vecchi romani e figli di Druidi e sacerdoti
di Beleno, l’antico Apollo gallico, che insegnano tutti, come gli altri,
grammatica e retorica. Le armi li avevano mal sottomessi;
l’educazione li ha interamente domati» [1].
Non ostante così grande merito, la letteratura storica del nostro
paese è forse l’unica, che non possegga una sola monografia sulla
forma e sullo svolgimento della istruzione pubblica nell’evo antico.
Ma tale considerazione, per quanto grave, non potrebbe, forse,
giustificare del tutto un nuovo studio sull’argomento. La cultura
moderna, che ha come suo carattere la internazionalità, riesce a
prevenire, il più delle volte, il desiderio, o il bisogno, di una
produzione nazionale su determinati oggetti d’interesse generale. E
precisamente, nel caso nostro, nonostante la mancanza di lavori
italiani, nonostante che anche la letteratura francese, ch’è stata in
ogni secolo un mezzo maraviglioso di diffusione delle idee, non ce
ne porga compenso adeguato, potremmo pur dire di avere molto da
attingere, dalla produzione storico-pedagogica dei popoli dell’Europa
non latina, specie, come sempre, dalla grande nazione tedesca e un
po’ anche (chi l’avrebbe mai detto?) da quella delle nazioni slava e
ungherese [2].
Ma tutti questi scritti, che, salvo poche eccezioni, riescono quasi
inaccessibili alla maggior parte dei lettori e degli studiosi italiani,
sono macolati in genere da due difetti organici. L’uno è ch’essi
fondono insieme la trattazione della istruzione pubblica romana con
quella greca, [3] il che, a sua volta, produce due conseguenze fatali:
la negligenza dello studio dell’istruzione pubblica nel mondo latino, la
cui importanza viene, praticamente, rimpicciolita ed oscurata, e la
confusione di tipi, di istituti e di condizioni, che, se hanno fra loro
innegabili rapporti di analogia e di parentela, rimangono pure
profondamente distinti. L’altro difetto è che tutte le monografie,
esistenti sulla istruzione pubblica nel mondo romano, o romanizzato,
si sono esclusivamente limitate a dare un’idea — sia pure esatta e
minuta — del meccanismo interiore della scuola a tipo classico. Or
bene, di questo noi siamo oggi perfettamente informati, e non mette
in verità conto proseguire ad occuparcene. Ma ciò non significa
punto che si possegga — o si sia fornito — un adeguato concetto
della diffusione, e delle condizioni della istruzione pubblica, nel
mondo romano.
Questo concetto può solo scaturire dall’esame degli istituti scolastici,
nei vari paesi dominati da Roma; ma è appunto tale studio che può
dirsi manchi interamente alla letteratura pedagogica europea.
Inoltre, da questa insistenza delle varie monografie a dissertare del
funzionamento della scuola greca e romana, consegue un difetto
ancor più grave per il nostro studio: la trascuranza delle sue
specifiche condizioni durante l’età imperiale. Infatti, poichè il
generale ordinamento interno della scuola romana, nel massimo
fiorire della repubblica, differisce assai poco da quello della
medesima nell’età successiva, è chiaro che chi ha illustrato la prima
non ha poi creduto necessario ripetere il lavoro per la seconda, nella
quale tuttavia gl’istituti di istruzione pubblica raggiunsero il loro più
notevole sviluppo.
Da queste premesse il lettore può in anticipazione rappresentarsi
alla mente le linee generalissime del lavoro, che crediamo debba
ancora essere tentato dagli studiosi europei, e specialmente dagli
italiani. Esso dovrebbe riuscire da un lato alla illustrazione di tutti gli
elementi specifici, apportati da l’impero romano nell’istruzione
pubblica del mondo da esso dominato; dall’altro, a una serie di
monografie sulle condizioni, le vicende, lo svolgimento di questa
istruzione, nei varii paesi, che soggiacquero alla dominazione
romana. Appunto perciò la prima parte di uno studio, quale noi lo
concepiamo, deve essere dedicata a chiarire la natura dei rapporti
tra il governo centrale e la istruzione pubblica, e a dare l’idea dello
svolgimento di questa forma della politica imperiale; perchè la
caratteristica dell’istruzione pubblica nell’impero, quella che tutte le
altre accoglie e subordina, fu appunto l’ingerenza del potere
centrale, che concluse con la creazione di quella istruzione di stato,
ch’è oggi il tipo più universale, quella anzi che noi siamo indotti a
identificare con l’istruzione pubblica propriamente detta.
Tale l’indagine storica, che oggi presento ai lettori, e che mi è riuscita
meno agevole di quanto la natura del soggetto farebbe supporre,
sopra tutto a motivo della incertezza dei suoi mutevoli confini, che ho
dovuti a ogni passo rimettere in discussione. Infatti, con la parola
istruzione, io non volli intendere soltanto la coltura intellettuale, ma
anche l’educazione morale; nè l’una e l’altra volli identificare con
certe categorie determinate, oggi a noi più familiari,
dell’insegnamento, ma le sorti di entrambe ricercare attraverso tutte
le varie, impreviste forme, in cui si esplicò l’azione dei principi e dei
governi, che furono intenti ad istruire e ad educare. Era per ciò facile
— e quindi pericoloso — che il nostro studio storico sull’istruzione
pubblica si tramutasse in un saggio sulla cultura intellettuale del
tempo, o, peggio, in una dissertazione sul mecenatismo dei principi
romani. Ma, per quanto, all’atto pratico, le varie distinzioni non
riescano agevoli, tuttavia io mi sono sempre guardato dal cadere in
siffatti equivoci, e, se di cultura o di mecenatismo ho qualche volta
discorso, è stato solo per mettere uno sfondo al quadro, o una
premessa alla dimostrazione.
Ugualmente facile (o pericoloso?) era venire a discorrere di certe
forme d’istruzione speciale, che vantò anche l’impero romano e di
cui possono indicarsi, quali esempi, le scuole d’armi, le scuole dei
gladiatori etc. Ma è parso a me evidente che questi e simili istituti
non rientrassero nel concetto generale d’istruzione pubblica, a cui
pure viene subordinata, per certi caratteri di universalità, anche
l’istruzione professionale, e ho tralasciato questa parte, che forse,
anche, avrebbe richiesto per se sola tutta una speciale trattazione.
Ma tali gravi difficoltà nel fissare i limiti del mio compito sono piccole
e scarse rispetto alle numerose, suscitate dall’esame dei mille
argomenti e dei mille svariatissimi problemi, coi quali il soggetto del
presente studio va indissolubilmente congiunto. Moltissimi invero tra
questi non hanno ancora avuto una trattazione o una soluzione
definitiva; molti non ne hanno avuta nessuna, e io mi sono, caso per
caso, dovuto accingere a fornirne qualcuna. Non mi illudo di avere
sempre colto nel segno; sarebbe presunzione eccessiva. Sono però
convinto d’avere sempre, nei limiti delle mie forze, compiuto il mio
dovere di ricercatore e sopra tutto di avere soddisfatto a
quell’obbligo, che è sommo per chiunque, e che il più grande storico
dell’arte antica incideva in una frase scultoria dell’opera sua
maggiore, l’obbligo cioè di ogni studioso «di non mai paventare la
ricerca del vero, anche se a pregiudizio della propria estimazione»,
chè «i singoli debbono errare, affinchè i molti procedano verso la
verità» [4].
 CAPITOLO I.
Gli Imperatori di casa Giulio-Claudia e
l’istruzione nell’Impero Romano.
(30 a. C.-68 d. C.)

I. La politica scolastica degli Imperatori di casa Giulio-Claudia.

I privilegi di Augusto ai praeceptores. Una scuola di stato per
la nuova aristocrazia imperiale. — II. Le biblioteche pubbliche
augustee. — III. Il governo di Augusto e la custodia delle
opere d’arte. — IV. Augusto e l’immunità dai carichi pubblici ai
medici e ai docenti di medicina. — V. Augusto e la nuova
educazione della gioventù. — VI. Contenuto religioso e
morale di questa educazione. — VII. Augusto istituisce un
ufficio di sovrintendenza generale su l’istruzione e
l’educazione della gioventù romana. — VIII. Augusto e
l’istruzione pubblica nelle provincie; la biblioteca del
Sebasteum; l’amministrazione e la direzione del Museo
alessandrino. — IX. L’istruzione pubblica e il governo centrale
da Augusto a Nerone. Caligola e i concorsi di eloquenza. Il
Museum Claudium. — X. La corte e la sua influenza sulla
nuova aristocrazia. I concorsi di eloquenza istituiti da Nerone
e l’incremento degli studi di retorica. Il governo di Nerone e gli
studi di filosofia. — XI. Le immunità agli insegnanti datano
probabilmente da Nerone. — XII. Rassegna e ampiezza di
queste immunità. — XIII. Casi di immunità speciali a favore
degli insegnanti primarii. — XIV. Nerone e l’ellenizzarsi
dell’educazione fisica in Roma. — XV. Nerone e l’incremento
dell’istruzione musicale. — XVI. I successori di Augusto e le
 organizzazioni giovanili a Roma e in Italia. — XVII. Nerone
ricompone le biblioteche perite nell’incendio del 64. — XVIII.
Gli Imperatori di casa Giulio-Claudia e gli studi di
giurisprudenza. — XIX. Il nuovo regime e l’istruzione
pubblica.

I.

Ebbero, e praticarono, gl’imperatori della casa Giulio-Claudia quella

che oggi si direbbe una politica scolastica loro propria? Chi scorra,
anche con diligenza, le trattazioni esistenti sulla storia dell’istruzione
e dell’educazione nel mondo romano non può non rispondere
negativamente. Il governo di quegli imperatori sembra rimanere
estraneo a tutta l’operosità ufficiale svoltasi in questo campo durante
il primo secolo di C. Eppure, è ben difficile dire se altre dinastie
abbiano, nello svolgimento dell’istruzione e dell’educazione
nazionale, esercitato un’influenza pari a quella dei Giulio-Claudii,
come è altrettanto difficile indicare i principi romani, che ne abbiano,
in maniera egualmente larga, affrontato il non agevole problema.
Fra essi, al posto di onore, va, come era prevedibile, collocato
Augusto. Tre sono i provvedimenti, che di lui si sogliono ricordare, e
che, direttamente e indirettamente, si connettono alle cure
dell’istruzione pubblica: 1) un privilegio concesso ai docenti
nell’occasione di una grande carestia; 2) l’istituzione di una scuola
pei principi; 3) l’istituzione di pubbliche biblioteche.
Augusto continuò il concetto e la politica di Cesare. Per lui, come per
il suo grande predecessore, i maestri delle scuole elementari, medie
e superiori, erano, nella vita dello stato, non quantità ingombranti,
ma elementi di forza e di benessere sociale. Così, nell’occasione di
una grande carestia in Roma, probabilmente quella del 10 di C., egli
fu costretto a ordinare lo sfratto di tutte le ciurme di schiavi
trasportati a Roma per la vendita, di tutte le bande di gladiatori,
persone, come si vede, destinate a uffici, o esercenti mestieri, dei cui
vantaggi il pubblico romano nè soleva, nè sapeva, privarsi. Il decreto
di sfratto fu esteso a buona parte degli schiavi addetti ai servizii
domestici e pubblici in Roma — si voleva, pare, diminuire ad ogni
costo il numero delle bocche — nonchè a tutti i forestieri. Chi ha
un’idea di quello che sogliono essere le città capitali, specie se città
cosmopolite, può formarsi una lontana idea degli effetti di
quest’ultima parte del decreto imperiale. Chè Roma non era soltanto
una capitale; era, in quel tempo, la capitale del mondo, era
l’universal porto di mare, era la città, che, come si esprimevano i
suoi poeti, sarebbe cessata di vivere, se gli stranieri non l’avessero
colmata di loro stessi [5]. Privarla di tutti i forestieri era lo stesso che
mutilarla di una parte viva del suo organismo. Tra quei forestieri
numerosissimi erano i greci, anzi gli abitatori di tutto il mondo
ellenizzato, e, quindi, i pedagoghi, i litteratores, i grammatici, i
rhetores [6]. Con la loro espulsione Roma sarebbe rimasta priva di
una buona metà di coloro che v’impartivano l’istruzione. E due sole
eccezioni Augusto fece: l’una per i praeceptores, [7] l’altra per i
medici, maestri anch’essi, come vedremo; [8] e il privilegio accordato
significò che, per il primo degli imperatori romani, ridurre al popolo il
pane della scienza era più dannoso del lasciarne ridurre il pane
quotidiano.
Di Augusto — dicemmo — si rammenta altresì l’istituzione di una
scuola pei principi. Svetonio, esponendo la biografia del grammatico
Verrio Flacco, narra che, «scelto da Augusto quale precettore ai suoi
nipoti, egli passò nel palazzo imperiale con tutta la sua scuola ma
con l’impegno di non ammettervi più alcun altro discepolo. Ivi egli
fece lezione nell’atrio della domus Catilinae, che era allora una parte
del palazzo imperiale, con lo stipendio annuo di 100,000 sesterzi» [9].
(L. 25,000 circa).
Qualche storico [10] ha raccostato tale fatto al provvedimento
dell’imperatore Vespasiano, di cui avremo a suo tempo ad occuparci,
pel quale taluni dei retori greci e latini furono stipendiati a spese
pubbliche. [11] Evidentissimamente, il paragone non regge: i due atti
sono di natura essenzialmente diversa. Vespasiano, col suo
provvedimento, metterà a disposizione del pubblico dei buoni
maestri, reggenti scuole pubbliche, e porrà, accanto alle altre, una
scuola di paragone, di cui toccava allo stato scegliere gl’insegnanti.
Augusto invece confiscava a beneficio di una ristretta classe di
persone una scuola aperta per l’innanzi al pubblico. E il suo
tentativo, se a qualcosa, accenna, non già all’avocazione della
scuola allo stato, bensì al regime della istruzione domestica.
Ma senza dubbio una scuola esclusivamente domestica la sua non
fu. I cittadini e i residenti in Roma mandavano i loro figliuoli ad istituti
di vario merito e di vario nome. È quello che accade in ogni tempo
per le scuole rette da privati. Ogni cittadino sceglie il maestro più
consono al suo modo di vedere in fatto di questioni morali, politiche,
didattiche, e più acconcio alle proprie risorse economiche. Ogni
classe sociale ha quindi gli istituti privati, in cui preferisce mandare i
suoi figli. La scuola di Verrio Flacco dovette essere quella
dell’aristocrazia romana. Augusto vi mandò i suoi nipoti, e ne chiuse
l’accesso ad elementi estranei, e stipendiò, a compenso dei danni
eventuali, nonchè a garanzia propria, il maestro. Egli alimentò così la
scuola della nuova aristocrazia romana imperiale.
Ma fece anche di più: «educò ed istruì, insieme con i propri, i figliuoli
di molti principi alleati di Roma» [12].
Egli dunque, mentre da un lato alimentava una scuola per
l’aristocrazia romana, dall’altro voleva che quella scuola fosse un
corso speciale per l’istruzione dei principi romani e di quelli, che con
Roma vivevano (ed egli desiderava vivessero) in rapporti amichevoli.
Per tal via la scuola di Verrio Flacco assumeva un chiaro
intendimento politico, Augusto mirava a consolidare e a conquistare,
con la voluta somiglianza dei costumi e dell’indirizzo educativo, con
l’intimità dei rapporti personali, i buoni rapporti internazionali dello
Stato romano. L’opera saggia, ma di un carattere affatto diverso da
quella che inizierà Vespasiano, è dunque, sopra tutto, un’opera
personale di Augusto. E onere suo personale fu con certezza lo
stipendio fornito a Verrio Flacco, che non gravava sul bilancio dello
Stato, bensì sulla cassa privata del principe. Questo particolare però
non deve avere l’importanza, che potrebbero farvi attribuire analogie
contemporanee. È notorio: nell’impero romano i confini tra la cassa
privata dell’imperatore e il bilancio dello Stato, fra le attribuzioni
personali dell’imperatore e quello del governo centrale, furono
sempre assai incerti, e le istituzioni ed erogazioni del principe
potevano bene — nel loro valore politico — apparire — od essere —
un atto dello Stato, come ogni pubblica iniziativa assurgere — nel
suo merito — a iniziativa personale dell’imperatore.

II.

Più notevole, nei rapporti con l’istruzione pubblica, si fu l’istituzione

di pubbliche biblioteche. Questo era stato uno dei propositi migliori di
Giulio Cesare; [13] uno dei tanti, che il pugnale dei congiurati aveva
spezzato con la sua vita.
In sui primi anni dell’êra cristiana, l’idea veniva ripresa da un privato
cittadino, C. Asinio Pollione, e da lui attuata con l’apertura al
pubblico di una biblioteca greco-latina [14]. Augusto collaborò da par
suo all’opera di Pollione.
La prima biblioteca augustea fu la Palatina, fondata nel 28 a. C. nel
luogo stesso, in cui la casa di Augusto era stata colpita dal fulmine,
perchè ivi — gli aruspici avevano spiegato — Apollo reclamava
l’erezione di un suo tempio. E sorse il tempio, e, col tempio, un
portico, nonchè una biblioteca greco-latina [15].
La seconda biblioteca, fondata da Augusto, fu l’Ottaviana (25 a.
C.) [16]. L’incarico di ordinarla venne affidato al grammatico Caio
Melisso [17], un personaggio del circolo di Mecenate; e come la
precedente, anzi, come tutte le biblioteche del tempo, essa ebbe al
solito due sezioni: una greca e una latina.
Quanto al mantenimento e al personale delle due biblioteche, noi
non possediamo nessuna precisa notizia dell’età di Augusto, o
almeno nessuna, riferibile a questo tempo. Ma, dall’analogia dei
decenni più prossimi, possiamo trarre la conclusione che il
personale, almeno nei gradi più elevati, fu allora, per la Palatina,
reclutato tra gli ufficiali della casa e gli addetti alla cancelleria del
principe, e che il mantenimento gravò sul fiscus imperiale [18].
Quanto alla Ottaviana, in epoca impossibile a determinare, noi
troviamo codesto istituto di proprietà municipale [19]. Se quindi essa
venne fondata dall’imperatore appositamente per il municipio di
Roma, il personale e il suo mantenimento dovettero, fin da Augusto,
gravare solo sull’aerarium cittadino, senza che la cassa speciale del
principe si addossasse altre spese all’infuori di quelle della
fondazione. Se invece tale trapasso avvenne in età più tarda, la sua
sorte, durante il regno di Augusto, dovette essere identica a quella
della Palatina e perciò la biblioteca dipendere direttamente dal
governo centrale. Come che sia, anche a proposito delle biblioteche
di Augusto, ha pieno valore il rilievo, che credemmo opportuno fare
discorrendo della scuola dei principi. In questi primi albori del
governo imperiale, noi non riesciamo a distinguere esattamente
quanto merito spetti alla persona dell’imperatore, quanto alle
iniziative del governo, quali e quanti carichi si addossi il primo, quali
e quanti tocchino al secondo. Ma noi dobbiamo, egualmente,
soggiungere quello che allora dicevamo. «Nell’impero romano, i limiti
fra la cassa privata dell’imperatore e il bilancio dello Stato, fra le
attribuzioni personali dell’imperatore e quelle del governo centrale,
furono sempre assai incerti, e ogni istituzione od erogazione del
principe poteva bene — nel suo valore politico — apparire, od
essere, un atto dello Stato, così come ogni pubblica iniziativa
assurgere — nel suo merito — a iniziativa personale
dell’imperatore». E questo criterio, a motivo della natura del servizio,
cui ora più specialmente ci riferiamo, va affermato con maggiore
intenzione di quello che nel precedente paragrafo non facemmo.

III.
Come per la fondazione delle prime pubbliche biblioteche, il governo
di Augusto va segnalato per la inaugurazione dei primi Musei e delle
prime pubbliche Pinacoteche.
L’amore e la ricerca delle opere d’arte datava in Roma da molti anni,
e fin da Cesare noi notiamo quella che sarà la caratteristica
dell’impero: la trasformazione dei templi da luoghi di religione in
luoghi effettivamente destinati al pubblico culto dell’arte, i cui
monumenti vi si potessero da chiunque conoscere ed ammirare [20].
Ma quivi, come nei luoghi pubblici, non si accoglieva, almeno per
ora, che una piccola parte di tutto ciò che l’aristocrazia romana era
andata acquistando, o depredando, in Grecia ed in Oriente. La
maggiore rimaneva ancora nelle case dei privati, che vi destinavano
gallerie apposite, loro dominio e loro geloso godimento. Era chiaro
come tutto ciò fosse in contrasto col desiderio delle classi popolari e
con gli intendimenti di un governo, che voleva essere democratico. E
colui che raccolse il pensiero dei più, il pensiero del governo, e lo
espresse pubblicamente all’aristocrazia romana, fu M. Vipsanio
Agrippa.
A grippa, sebbene Plinio lo dica uomo, per cui la vita rude riusciva
preferibile alla trionfante mollezza del suo secolo, [21] fu uno dei più
squisiti amatori delle belle arti, che vanti la storia del mondo civile. Di
capolavori artistici ne acquistò molti in Oriente; alla sua edilità si
deve la ricostruzione di gran parte di Roma, ch’egli aveva trovato di
mattoni e lasciava di marmo. Il suo amore per l’abbellimento edilizio
ed artistico non si limitò alla capitale, ma si prodigò anche a favore di
altri municipii italici e provinciali [22]. Ed egli, in Roma, non sappiamo
in quale occasione della sua fervida attività politica, forse nella
circostanza della inaugurazione del Pantheon, [23] pronunziò un
discorso, col quale esortava vivamente l’aristocrazia ad aprire al
pubblico i proprii musei e le proprie pinacoteche [24].
Noi non sappiamo quanti accogliessero la esortazione, che egli
lanciava, non tanto come suo pensiero personale, quanto come
pensiero del governo. Sappiamo però di certo che l’accolse colui che
già era stato il fondatore della prima pubblica biblioteca in Roma, C.
Asinio Pollione, e che ora aperse egualmente al pubblico la sua
galleria ed il suo museo [25].
Ma l’esortazione imperiale, che fu tanto efficace da scuotere uno dei
più irosi repubblicani del tempo, dovette venire assai più
diligentemente raccolta, e meditata, dalla aristocrazia di recente
formazione, devota al nuovo regime, e così pedissequa imitatrice,
come instancabile ricercatrice, di ogni desiderio che accennasse
dall’alto. Sopra tutto è presumibile, anche in mancanza di notizie
positive e specifiche, che la pubblicità fosse subito data alle opere
d’arte contenute nei musei e nelle pinacoteche imperiali.
Come dunque delle private collezioni di libri greci e latini, così il
governo di Augusto è da presumersi autore diretto, e indiretto, della
prima esposizione al pubblico delle principali opere d’arte, che sino a
quell’ora i felici della capitale del mondo serbavano gelosamente
custodite al proprio esclusivo godimento spirituale. Da quest’inizio si
svolgerà il piccolo nucleo dell’amministrazione delle belle arti in
Roma, che, come vedremo, sarà uno dei meriti della politica degli
imperatori del II. secolo dell’êra volgare.

IV.

Ma un atto di Augusto, che sarà il primo anello di una lunga

tradizione, un atto che avrà tangibili effetti immediati, non suole
essere minimamente ricordato dagli storici dell’istruzione pubblica.
Nel 23 a. C. Augusto, guarito da grave malattia, faceva conferire, dal
senato, una piena immunità da ogni carico pubblico al medico
orientale, che l’aveva salvato e ai suoi colleghi di professione, nè
solo ai viventi, ma eziandio ai futuri [26].
Già vedemmo di un privilegio concesso ai medici in occasione della
carestia del 10 di C. L’una e l’altra concessione hanno per noi
un’importanza notevolissima, in quanto che esse non andavano
soltanto a favorire l’esercizio materiale della professione, ma