Linda Brannon is a professor in the department of psychology at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where she has been teaching since receiving her doctorate. After becoming interested in the emerging field of health psychology, Dr. Brannon and the late Dr. Jess Feist co-authored the first edition of this text in the 1980s. They enjoyed expanding and developing the text along with the field for more than two decades. In addition to her work in health psychology, Dr. Brannon is the author of a text on gender and co-author of an introductory psychology text. She received her Ph.D. in human experimental psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Late, McNeese State University John Updegraff is a professor of social and health psychology in the department of psychological sciences at Kent State University and an acclaimed undergraduate instructor. An expert in health behavior, health communication, stress and coping, Dr. Updegraff is the recipient of multiple research grants from the National Institutes of Health and his research appears in the field's top journals. He received his Ph.D. in social psychology from UCLA under the mentorship of pioneering health psychologist Dr. Shelley Taylor.