Cognitive neuroscience: A field with increasing interest to school psychologists.

Reviews the book, Cognitive neuroscience: The biology of the mind by M. Gazzaniga, R. B. Ivry, and G. R. Mangun (1998). This excellent book on cognitive neuroscience provides an exposition of the key areas concerned in cognitive neuroscience for the advanced student in adult neuropsychology and/or biological psychiatry. The authors' aim to balance theory with neuropsychology utilizing neuroscientific evidence to support a theoretical basis is a major contribution of this text. In this book there has been a concerted effort to provide a theoretical basis for cognitive neuroscience in addition to a list of empirical evidence. Such an effort provides a backdrop for future research as well as linking various cognitive functions into an understandable whole. This volume provides an excellent overview of brain anatomy and function. The book is highly readable and provides excellent illustrations of complex material. The main weakness of this volume for school psychologists is the emphasis on adult disorders with no real discussion of the most common childhood disorders. Although the text assumes some familiarity with neuroanatomy, it is useful for practitioners who desire more up-to-date information in this exciting field. This volume would be an excellent textbook for courses in biological bases of behavior for doctoral-level school psychologists, provided there is accompanying information on child neuropsychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Natural theories of mind: Evolution, development and simulation of everyday mindreading.

Reviews the book, Natural theories of mind: Evolution, development and simulation of everyday mindreading edited by Andrew Whiten (see record 1991-97348-000). In recent years there has been a phenomenal growth in interest and research directed at what, has become known as a Theory of Mind ("ToM") and its development. Among the many edited books recently made available on the topic, Whiten's Natural theories of mind is unique in the eclectic, multidisciplinary approach it brings to this vital, yet fledgling area. This interdisciplinary approach, which also includes a chapter by Carrithers placing the development of a theory of mind within the broader context of sociology and anthropology, is at the same lime both the strength of this volume and its limitation. It may be that few will read this book cover-to-cover (not a remarkable criticism for an edited book). Those who do will be given an unusually broad overview of this hot research area and the interdisciplinary context within which the area can best be understood and from which it will most profitably develop. Whiten's collection is therefore recommended both to those who are looking for an entrance into the theory of mind literature and for those already embroiled in the field who are looking for new perspectives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Comprehensive handbook of psychotherapy integration.

Reviews the book, Comprehensive handbook of psychotherapy integration by George Stricker and Jerold R. Gold (see record 1993-97695-000). In the Preface to this text, the editors express their expectation that "this volume will serve as an up-to-date and exhaustive overview of the status of ongoing scholarly and clinical work in the integration of the major schools of psychotherapy" (p. ix). Such introductory comments are commonly found in the "handbook" genre, yet such expectations are seldom met to the satisfaction of many reviewers. Nevertheless, with an open mind I plunged into this 560-page, doubled-columned, 37-chapter volume. I will admit that I was somewhat devilishly compelled to find some topic mat I could consider less than exhaustively reviewed. Well, did I find the volume exhaustive? The answer is yes! This is a marvelous volume. It should be mandatory reading for students in advanced counseling and psychotherapy courses. Initially, one would think its value is as a reference text, and indeed, all practicing psychotherapists should have a copy of this volume on their shelves. But, this volume provides such a useful series of pragmatic chapters, I believe that advanced students would prosper as well. True integration occurs on both the theoretical and practical levels. This is the first book that I have seen that provides the reader with exhaustive perspectives on both. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychologists Caught: A Psychologic of Psychology.

Reviews the book, Psychologists Caught: A Psychologic of Psychology by Lewis Wolfgang Brandt (1982). This book is about metapsychology, the psychology or psycho-logic, of psychologies. Its basic question is: What determines the particular psychology, theory and method, that a psychologist advocates and practices? Consistent with his emphasis on individual psychohistory, Brandt begins his book with an autobiographical chapter explaining how he personally came to reject American behaviourism and to embrace a phenomenological-Gestalt form of psychoanalysis. This work will be found most interesting and liked best by those, who, like Brandt, have a relativistic bent of mind, who are persuaded that Hume and Kant discovered the natural limits of philosophical thought, who read Hayek and Feyerabend with approbation, or who just enjoy vigorous intellectual discussion for its own sake. Behaviourists and other "technical" psychologists will probably not like it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Images in mind: The evolution of a theory.

Reviews the book, Images in mind: The evolution of a theory by A. Paivio (see record 1991-98882-000). In this review I hope to capture some of the flavour of Images in Mind, in which Allan Paivio traces some of the signal events in the evolution of dual coding theory. I encourage each reader of the review to become a reader of the book. The main reward is a glimpse of the workings of a great mind, but there are practical benefits as well. I am reminded of an interview with Keith Richard of the Rolling Stones. When asked how he came up with so many songs, he replied that he just played through his "Buddy Holly Song Book," and something always came up. Reading papers by Paivio has the same effect on me; I can't read his work without many experiments "coming up." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Sexualities and homosexualities.

Reviews the book, Sexualities and homosexualities by Jaime P. Stubrin (see record 1994-97944-000). Stubrin's primary goal for this book is to outline the various theories that apply to an understanding of what he calls the sexual "deviations" ("perversions, neosexualities, and paraphilias"). He wants this consolidation of information to serve as a resource for psychoanalysts who may be feeling overwhelmed by all of the material on this topic. One theme repeated throughout the book is the need for analysts to approach "sexual deviants" with the "same affection and sympathy" which they feel toward obsessive, hysterical, borderline, or psychotic patients. Stubrin challenges the tendency in traditional psychoanalytic theory to assume mental illness or degenerative tendencies in those whose sexuality is not considered "normal." Throughout the book, Stubrin draws on literature, Freud's original work, and case examples to breathe life into his theoretical musings. The book is engaging and easy to read. At times, the translation (from Spanish) is quite choppy, but the ideas remain solidly stated. In summary, the reviewer believes that Stubrin accomplishes his primary goals of generating unrest and controversy through a challenging discussion of difficult psychoanalytic topics. The book will be of interest to those who hold very traditional psychoanalytic theoretical positions as well as those who work with the various sexualities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The dissociative mind.

Reviews the book, The dissociative mind by Elizabeth F. Howell (see record 2005-14945-000). In her book, The Dissociative Mind, Elizabeth Howell presents a complex and thorough overview of what she describes as a "sea change" in psychoanalytic theory. From her vantage point as both psychoanalyst and traumatologist, she demonstrates how, in the last 15-20 years, relational trauma and the resulting impact on the individual mind-namely the splits and fissures that comprise dissociation- have made their way back into psychoanalytic thinking. Howell's elaboration of the overwhelmed, traumatized mind is very useful in clients who present with problems in thinking or who have limited capacity to symbolize. However, detailed clinical material of how an analyst thinking of dissociated self states would work with such a client, what Bromberg termed the "relational bridge," would support her fundamental assertions more effectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Musical creativity: Multidisciplinary research in theory and practice.

Reviews the book, Musical creativity: Multidisciplinary research in theory and practice by Irène Deliège and Geraint A. Wiggins (2006). This book is an edited volume developed from the proceedings of a conference held at the University of Liège in Belgium in 2002, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the founding of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music. The book is ambitious in scope, and it is clearly organized around a varied series of perspectives on musical creativity. The purpose of this book is explicitly stated as "a source of ideas, research topics to start on, to follow up on, or to develop" (p. xv). In that sense, the book succeeds. Even those who are not particularly interested in music research might find some of its ideas and perspectives stimulating and take them as a challenge to develop them analogously in their own areas. On the whole, Musical Creativity is well worth a look, and its best chapters make it a useful and valuable reference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Head injury rehabilitation: Children and adolescents.

Reviews the book, Head injury rehabilitation: Children and adolescents by Mark Yivisaker. This book is intended to be a practical guide for professionals seeking concrete guidance in the difficult and frustrating search for effective treatment strategies for head injured patients. While maintaining a commitment to scholarship, the authors of the treatment chapters of this textbook have taken as their primary responsibility the clear presentation of a treatment philosophy as well as specific principles and techniques of remediation" (p. xvii). It is clear that the contributors of this volume, most of whom work together at the Rehabilitation Institute of Pittsburgh, labored long and hard to accomplish this goal and, as a result, they have produced a lucid and thorough volume. This book provides a very helpful and coherent account of pediatric head injury rehabilitation. No important topics are overlooked and, although some crucial areas are given fairly short shrift, the coverage is quite within the stated purpose of the work and the task that the authors set for themselves. I think that this book will prove to be a useful manual for neophytes to the head injury rehabilitation field, and to many parents of head injured children. It certainly should be required reading for all who choose to prepare themselves for professional work with head injured children. One final point: although not explicitly stated, the enormous investment of time and effort required by the head injured child and his or her family reflects a capacity that arises more from the heart than from the mind. This commitment can only come from a well-integrated and devoted team of professionals such as the group who authored this book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of How people change.

Reviews the book, How people change by Rebecca Curtis and George Stricker (see record 1991-98045-000). This book, subtitled "Inside and Outside Therapy," brings together knowledgeable and thoughtful people from the practitioner domains of clinical/counseling psychology and similarly scholarly individuals from other areas of psychology (such as industrial/organizational and social psychology). Reading this book called to mind a time when we used to consider psychology a single discipline with areas of specialization, not the fragmented puzzle whose pieces do not appear to fit together. The attempts to integrate the ideas related to behavior change are reminiscent of Dollard and Miller's attempts to blend Freudian theory with the data and methodology of learning theory; Rotter's (1954) attempt to incorporate concepts from both learning theory and Lewinian models of social interaction into a theory for clinical psychology. This book serves as evidence that reports of the demise of an integrated body of knowledge we call psychology have been greatly exaggerated. This work will appeal to the careful, thoughtful reader, one who is interested in extrapolating to the larger issues relevant to the issue of how human behavior changes. Curtis and Stricker, following the trail set by integrationists like C. R. Snyer and John Harvey, are to be commended for their work on this volume and for their own written contributions to it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Connectionism: A Hands-On Approach.

Reviews the book, Connectionism: A Hands-On Approach by Michael R. W. Dawson (see record 2005-05691-000). This book is intended to be a practical introduction to connectionist models and neural networks. The book uses, as examples, simple connectionist models that have been studied over the years, with each chapter dedicated to a slightly more complex model or problem than the previous. The author also provides links to a web page where sample programs can be downloaded, allowing the reader to use these programs as they progress through the book. Although the book is well written, it falls short of its objective of being an introduction to connectionism. The book does not claim to be focused on connectionist theory, but its lack of a theoretical basis makes it difficult to follow. Throughout the book, there are references to another work by the author entitled Minds and Machines, which the reader can reference for the theoretical basis and background of connectionist models, and this may indicate the preferred use of the current book. This book falls short as a stand-alone text, but could make a decent workbook to supplement a theoretical text on connectionism. Those who are looking to expand into actually implementing these algorithms would be better served by packages such as PDP, SNNS, or even Matlab, but the book could still be useful to those who want to get a taste of how these algorithms work. The niche of this book seems to be for professors who want a "hands-on" supplement for their main text, but want to avoid too much depth on the math or implementation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Empirical studies of psychoanalytical theories.

Reviews the book, Empirical studies of psychoanalytical theories, volume 1 by Joseph Masling (1983). Many psychoanalytic clinicians are comfortable functioning in the clinical world, using experience-near data. Many others are comfortable in the metapsychological world, using more experience-distant concepts. Some are even able to apply theory to practice, and modify one based on their experience of the other. But the bridge between the two, the middle-level described by Mayman, which represents the empirical joining of the theoretical and clinical, operationalized in the form of research which can inform either the clinical or the theoretical, is an area of lessened comfort for many. It is to this middle-level that Masling's book addresses itself, presenting examples of a wide variety of psychoanalytic research projects. Some are studies of psychoanalytic theory and others of psychoanalytic therapy; some are more empirical and others are more theoretical, some are original and others are reviews of already published material; but all provide an empirical grounding for practice. Stricker reviews the major findings and contributions of each of the seven chapters, and concludes with some general comments about psychoanalytic research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society.

Reviews the book, Traumatic stress: The effects of overwhelming experience on mind, body, and society edited by Bessel A. van der Kolk, Alexander C. McFarland, and Lars Weisaeth (see record 1996-98017-000). According to the reviewer, this book has, no doubt, been long awaited by professionals working in the field of traumatic stress. On the whole, it should be welcomed by psychiatrists. It leaves little reservation that, for the guiding interests of psychology, practitioners and researchers will need to look elsewhere. Although acclaimed on the flyleaf as "the gold standard reference," this book, however, falls far short of that mark, and it is bewildering and disappointing that this ambitious, extensive volume comes to so little in a field requiring lucid and advanced theoretical and empirical contributions. The book's purpose is a synthesis of what has been learned over the past 20 years about the effects of trauma, using a biopsychosocial framework. The emphasis throughout is on psychobiology and intrapersonal psychology, attention to the latter at times appearing almost quaint. The book is more properly read as a synthesis of some of the prevailing viewpoints expressed within psychiatry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The challenge of the borderline patient: Competency in diagnosis and treatment.

Reviews the book, The challenge of the borderline patient: Competency in diagnosis and treatment by Jerome Kroll (see record 1988-97021-000). In this new volume on borderline psychopathology, Jerome Kroll has some axes to grind-of the kind found in DSM-III, that is. He offers a refreshing perspective on this popularized topic and casts a healthy skepticism on the current trends and trendiness reflected in the literature. Unique in its back-to-basics, common-sensical approach to diagnosis and treatment, the book, in its essence, aims at demystifying and debunking the aura that surrounds this field. Kroll's volume spans the three predominant areas of inquiry that constitute most of the published works on borderline personality disorders, namely: 1) empirically rooted efforts to establish its construct validity as a diagnostic entity, 2) psychotherapeutic strategies that are primarily enmeshed in larger, unresolved theoretical controversies between the object relations versus self psychology factions within contemporary psychoanalytic thinking, and 3) the search for the magical psychopharmacological bullet that will eradicate borderline symptomotology. For both novice and experienced clinician, this book serves as a useful counterpoint to the current directions in empirical and theoretical work on borderline pathology, a reminder of the potential dangers of getting caught up in methodological precision or overelaborated theory or high-technology psychopharmacology and, as a consequence, of losing sight of the individual, whole patient. It is supportive therapy of the best kind for those of us who face the challenge of treating the borderline patient. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of From research to clinical practice.

Reviews the book, From research to clinical practice, edited by George Stricker and Robert H. Keisner (1985). The intended audience for this edited volume "will probably be practicing psychotherapists...[with] a minimum knowledge of the research area but a ready familiarity with clinical concepts" (p. xv). In addition, the editors suggest to the chapter authors that a successful chapter should provide new meaning for the term "scientist professional" by providing a feedback loop between research and practice. The authors also state that the theoretical focus of this volume is psychodynamic. The book is divided into four areas each preceded by a brief overview. The following areas are covered: Basic issues, social psychology, developmental psychology, and special topics. Overall, I found the chapters to be informative and well written. I think some practitioners may find this book overly academic in tone and may question whether enough of the chapters are sufficiently relevant to busy, practicing clinicians. This is not a book on spotting golden research nuggets between the covers of the volume. Instead, this book requires careful mining of considerable content in order to find sparkling applications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Evolution, culture and the human mind.

Reviews the book, Evolution, culture and the human mind edited by M. Schaller, et al. (see record 2009-20004-000). This current volume, Evolution, culture and the human mind, follows the lead of Wundt where an attempt is made to provide a synthesis of theory and data across psychological subfields into a holistic framework. Norenzayan, Schaller, and Heine begin the volume with an overview of the scope and themes that arose from their 2004 conference at the University of British Columbia on “Mind, Culture and Evolution.” Explicit throughout this volume is an effort to bridge the “yawning chasm” between perspectives of evolutionary determinism and cultural constructionism. In doing so, there is interest in providing a rigorous multidisciplinary scientific effort to solve this foundational problem for psychology. As such this volume provides an interesting and insightful examination of the evolution of consciousness, cognition, decision-making, actions, and cultural norms in terms of collective consequences and genetic mechanisms. The volume is divided into three sections where several dialectical themes (theory/data, top-down/bottom-up, ecological/social, diversification/integration) are woven throughout. Overall the volume offers nice flow from one collection of essays to the next as themes are picked up and let go, only to return later on. This volume shows a dominance of natural science (cross-cultural) inclinations where some readers may call for more voice given to phenomenological and hermeneutical (cultural) human science contributions. Other critics may challenge the reliance upon correlational, comparative, and post hoc data to bolster claims of causality in support of various theoretical suppositions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Exploration in the Psychology of Stress and Anxiety.

Reviews the book, Exploration in the Psychology of Stress and Anxiety by Byron P. Rourke (ed.). This book is the result of a symposium held to mark the opening of new facilities for the Department of Psychology at the University of Windsor in 1968. The title of this little volume may be viewed by some as being pretentious. The knowledgeable reader in the area of stress and anxiety who expects a systematic attack on current problems may be somewhat disappointed. Not only are the chapters uneven, but they represent a global "hodge-podge" of theoretical, empirical and philosophical essays loosely bound together under a general rubric. Yet, in spite of the inconsistent style and presentation, there is probably something of interest to every general reader. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cognition and emotion: From order to disorder, second edition.

Reviews the book, Cognition and emotion: From order to disorder, second edition by Mick Power and Tim Dalgleish (see record 2007-10431-000). In this book, the authors provide a detailed analysis of emotion with an explicit focus on differences and similarities between "disordered" emotion and normative emotional experience. What sets this text apart from other books on cognition and emotion is its attempt to describe the philosophical and historical underpinnings of work on emotion. Another unique feature of this text is that the authors go beyond just describing the various theories of emotion by comparing and contrasting the arguments advanced by the theories and highlighting the strengths and limitations of each theory. This book is divided into two parts: Part 1 is a review of the major theories of emotion, and Part 2 consists of reviews of research on five basic emotions, as well as illustrations of how the SPAARS framework can be used to explain normative and nonnormative variants of these emotions. Power and Dalgleish suggest that readers can choose either to read the book in its entirety or to focus on the sections that are of interest. Overall, this second edition of Cognition and Emotion is a readable and engaging book. This book is not a primer; as noted earlier, some parts of it are conceptually heavy. For this reason, the most appropriate audience for this book is advanced graduate students who already have some background in research on basic emotion or psychopathology and who are looking to enhance their knowledge base. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The domestic assault of women: Psychological and criminal justice perspectives.

Reviews the book, The domestic assault of women: Psychological and criminal justice perspectives by Donald A. Dutton (1988). This book provides a comprehensive analysis of battered women and their husbands by integrating current theories and research on violence and victimization within a social psychological perspective. The book is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter outlines the current data on the incidence of wife assault and proposes a theoretical framework for understanding the problem. The next two chapters outline the theory and research available on men who assault their partners. Chapter four details the impact of violence on victims and provides some explanations for battered women becoming "prisoners" in their own home. Chapter five details the shortcomings of the criminal justice response to battered women. Chapter six provides some more optimistic information on treatment programs for violent husbands. The book ends with a section on future trends, including current research programs on children who witness violence in their homes. Overall, the book is well written and demonstrates Dutton's excellent analytical skills. He has an ability to integrate diverse theoretical models on family violence with current research studies in the field. His understanding of battered women and their husbands flows dramatically into the dismal record of the criminal justice system in providing a meaningful response to the problem. His analysis of current treatment programs offers some valuable insight to the reader on the most effective strategies for this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)