Review of Protocoles et échelles d'évaluation en psychiatrie et psychologie.

Reviews the book, Protocoles et échelles d'évaluation en psychiatrie et psychologie by Martine Bouvard and Jean Cottraux (2010). This work is designed as a guide to the methodology of clinical research protocols in psychiatry and psychology, and also the administration and scoring of self-reported psychometric tools. It is aimed at psychologists and psychiatrists in active mental health practice, as well as clinical researchers. Beginning practitioners may be more interested in this work because of the emphasis on the basic notions of methodology in clinical research and the didactic aspect pertaining to the administration and scoring of tests. This manual is also one of the few reference works in French that collates a significant number of tests and has benefited over the years from several re-editions. In the foreword, the authors stress the difficulty in recent years of integrating research and clinical work but, at the same time, mention current efforts at unifying these two sources of knowledge. This work is part of that trend, that is, of pursuing effective clinical research and practice, supported by rigorous scientific methodology. The book is divided into two parts, the first one providing a complete and accessible overview of methodology in layperson's language. The second one covers the presentation of empirical scales and questionnaires, and their administration and scoring. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of L’étalonnage et la décision psychométrique: Exemples et tables.

Reviews the book, L’étalonnage et la décision psychométrique: Exemples et tables by Louis Laurencelle (2008). What I.Q. score corresponds to a 90 percentile? How many subjects are required for the 95% confidence interval set around a correlation value of r = .50 to fall within the 0.4-0.6 range? What fraction of a group of persons applying for a job will be selected if, by applying the rule of union and three correlation tests of .3, we use a selection rate of 10%? To read more on this review, please see the full text pdf. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of After high school--what?.

Reviews the book "After high school--what?" by Ralph F. Berdie (with chapters by Wilbur L. Layton and Ben Williams; see record 1955-02936-000). This volume reports the methods and results of a major investigation of the posthigh school plans of high school seniors and of a number of factors believed to be related to those plans. More specifically, the purpose of the study was "to investigate the factors determining college attendance with particular attention to a comparison of determinants related to economic status and those related to cultural or educational status." The study reported here gains in significance because of its comprehensive coverage both with respect to the population studied and to the types of data included. If the generalizations sometimes seem to outrun the data (despite disclaimers), this is a state of affairs not completely unknown in survey research. This is a solid contribution to current work on manpower problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of What is electroshock therapy?.

What is Electroshock Therapy? (1954) presents answers to commonly asked questions about this form of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Le mécanisme de la vision des couleurs.

Reviews "Le mecanisme de la vision des couleurs," by J. Segal (see record 1954-02115-000). Visual specialists for the most part still subscribe to the classical trichromatic conception with regard to the color mechanism, even though recent evidence concerning the nature of the retina and the involved neural functions seemingly has failed to narrow the gap that long has existed between fact and theory in vision. After many years of intensive study and experimentation, Segal presents in this work his own constructive formulation, along with the arguments that are associated with its development. Although the new theory is cast in the familiar trichromatic mold, he breaks sharply from conventional thinking in regard to the details of visual physiology. Divesting himself of prevailing conventions, he envisages the mechanism underlying color in terms of essentially new relationships. The logical reasoning on which the new prospect of the mechanics of color is based is worked out in considerable detail and in relation to much of the relevant knowledge that steadily has been accumulating. In a thoroughly scholarly manner, Segal has presented what amounts to a simplification of the physiological mechanics of color vision. Whether the new prospect is confirmed in its entirety, or in part only, he has made a contribution to the psychophysiology of color that is bound to serve as the basis for further critical studies designed to come more closely to grips with the true nature of the color mechanism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychothérapie cognitive de la dépression, 3e édition.

Reviews the book, Psychothérapie cognitive de la dépression, 3e édition (Cognitive psychotherapy for depression, 3rd edition) by Ivy Marie Blackburn and Jean Cottraux (2008). This third edition of the first French-language book about cognitive psychotherapy for depression permits to immerse the work of professor Beck. This classical work aims to be an excellent introduction, for both mental health professionals who want to extend their horizons and beginner students in psychology and psychiatry who want to be trained in cognitive psychotherapy for depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Traité de psychologie appliquée, Livre Troisième. L'Utilisation des aptitudes, orientation et sélection professionnelles.

Reviews the book Traité de psychologie appliquée, Livre Troisième. L'Utilisation des aptitudes, orientation et sélection professionnelles by H. Piéron, M. Reuchlin, R. Bize, C. Béssy-Chauffard, S. Pacaud, P. Rennes (see record 1955-04213-000). This 415-page book is volume three in a projected seven-volume work on applied psychology being brought out under the editorship of H. Piéron. In the opening chapter of the work, the editor of the series calls attention to the importance of becoming professional regarding the utilization of aptitudes and the scope of his appeal is nationwide. The other four chapters in the first part deal successively with surveys regarding current knowledge of different kinds of aptitude, the criteria in terms of which prediction regarding vocational success can be made, the varying demands of different trades and occupations on human resources, and different modes and degrees of adaptation made by the individual upon entering a profession. The four chapters of part two are subsumed under the general heading of professional selection. This work represents a survey of the variety of ways in which psychological methods-testing, factor analysis, job analysis, etc. have been used in connection with different aspects of the complex personnel problem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of cognitive–behavioral therapies, third edition.

Reviews the book, Handbook of cognitive–behavioral therapies, third edition edited by Keith S. Dobson (see record 2010-10108-000). Dobson’s revision of this classic volume provides a solid resource for psychologists and students of psychology. Many of us find that we become highly focused on our specific clinical work, teaching, and research, and it is easy to feel out of touch with the broader developments in the field. It is very helpful to pick up a resource such as this one to remind ourselves of the bigger picture in this important and influential treatment approach. Dobson has chosen authors for each topic who are key figures in the development of the approaches covered in their chapters. This choice of authors shows in the quality of the presentations and the familiarity with the key issues in each area. The book is divided into four parts: foundations, assessment, the therapies, and application to specific populations. This edited volume will be very useful in graduate courses on cognitive–behavioral therapies (CBTs) and in settings where clinical students are supervised. Practitioners and students with an interest in CBT will find it very helpful as a guide to the broad range of approaches and issues in CBT. In each area, the book provides up-to-date overviews of the research that guides our practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Democracy’s discontent.

Reviews the book, Democracy’s discontent: America in search of a public philosophy by Michael Sandel (1996). This book has been widely read by academics, politicians and others in public life, and interested citizens, giving him the stature of a leading public intellectual in contemporary America. Even though it is a work of political philosophy, I believe that Sandel’s writings have a special relevance for theoretical and philosophical psychology. At the outset of this book Sandel delivers his often-quoted observation that the “anxiety of the age” is the “fear that, individually and collectively, we are losing control of the forces that govern our lives” and that “from family to neighborhood to nation...the moral fabric of community is unraveling around us” (p. 3). He then describes how this loss of a sense of personal efficacy and meaningful human ties might derive from the dominance in our society of the “public philosophy of contemporary liberalism.” (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revue de L’évaluation des psychothérapies et de la psychanalyse: fondements et enjeux.

Reviews the book, L’évaluation des psychothérapies et de la psychanalyse: fondements et enjeux (The evaluation of psychotherapies and psychoanalysis: Foundations and issues) by Georges Fischman (2009). This collective book was written following an epistemology seminar directed by Dr. Fischman. This seminar, held at the Sainte-Anne hospital in Paris, gathered a group of experts in order to discuss the issue of psychotherapy assessment, with a particular focus on psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Contextualism in psychological research?: A critical review.

Reviews the book, Contextualism in psychological research?: A critical review by E. J. Capaldi and Robert W. Proctor (see record 1999-04104-000). In this book, these authors seek to expose what they perceive to be the fatal epistemological and conceptual flaws of the contextualist position (which they broadly and somewhat sloppily define as any approach in psychology that is more or less anti-mechanistic in its inclinations). It is a useful, clearly written, and provocative response to much recent contextualist thinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Raretés et inconsistances au TMDP (Test multidimensionnel de personnalité).

Notes that the assessment of psychopathology should address the issue of "test taking attitude". The author states that protocols made at random, faked good or bad, should be identified and no interpretation of clinical scales should be provided for invalid protocols. Three concepts were used in the assessment of scale validity. An incongruency scale for the yes-sayers was designed to evaluate the agreement between responses of a specific yes-sayer and those of yes-sayers in general. An infrequency scale was composed of items rarely endorsed by patients and normals. Finally, an inconsistency scale was derived from pairs of items highly correlated and usually answered in a similar or opposite way. Concomitant validity of the 3 scales was established by mean of correlations with similar MMPI-2 scales. By excluding yes-sayers with incongruent responses and protocols with many infrequent or inconsistent responses, it is concluded that the assessment of psychopathology can be more accurate and the clinical scales more specific. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Trouble déficit de l'attention avec ou sans hyperactivité.

Reviews the book, Trouble déficit de l'attention avec ou sans hyperactivité (Attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity) by Olivier Revol and Vincent Brun (2010). Professionals from different disciplines discussed “Attention Deficit Disorder With and Without Hyperactivity (ADDH): from theory to practice” at Montpellier in March 2010. The resulting book by specialists in the field, led by Revol and Brun, aims to help caregivers, parents and teachers to recognize, support and assist people with ADDH. The nine chapters form an introduction to the disorder, related comorbodity and diagnostic evaluation, and address possible interventions. The conflicting opinions of professionals from psychiatry, psychology, neuropsychology and psychomotility may confuse some readers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revue de Neuropsychologie du développement.

Reviews the book, Neuropsychologie de développement (2000). Claude Braun showed courage by writing his Neuropsychology book of the development. It is not frequent that somebody undertakes a task of this width. This work, is very understanding, puts at the range French-speaking people at last knowledge in neuropsychology of the development. Its 26 chapters treat normal and pathological development nervous system, of an exhaustive number of syndromes and their characteristics on the neurological, psychological, diagnostic level and of intervention for then finishing by discussing in a rather thorough way the neuropsychological evaluation of typical cases in a pediatric practice (e.g.: epilepsy, small evil, disease of Gilles of Tourette, etc). Moreover, the topics are treated according to various stages' of the life with the changes which the age causes in the development of the nervous system of the infant, the child of school age, and the teenager. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Introduction à la psychologie cognitive (2e édition).

Reviews the book, Introduction à la psychologie cognitive (2e édition) by Alain Lieury (2010). The goal of this book is to provide an overview of scientific psychology for the layperson who is considering studying this subject at university. In the first part of the work, the author reviews the history of scientific psychology and its various specialties, identifying the main areas of psychology, namely psychopathology, cognitive and experimental psychology, the neurosciences, social psychology and developmental psychology. In the second part, he explores four major themes of scientific psychology, that is, auditory and visual perception; memory; intelligence; and motivation and personality. This book paints a picture of scientific psychology with a writing style that is direct, concise and well suited to its target audience. It presents information in accessible, but not hackneyed, language. Theories are illustrated with interesting and reliable examples of research. Overall the work achieves its goal, though readers may be left puzzled by its title, since the author does not clearly define what he means by "cognitive psychology," giving it a broader meaning than it would normally have in Canada. Too succinct for some and too general for others, this is nevertheless an original work dealing with a broad topic, of which there are few in French. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Take control of your drinking? and you may not need to quit.

Reviews the book, Take control of your drinking? and you may not need to quit by Michael S. Levy (see record 2007-12140-000). This book is a self-help book explicitly designed for drinkers in the general population. It is written in a conversational, second-person style, and throughout the conversation, Levy encourages readers to be honest with themselves about how alcohol fits into their lives. In return, he adopts a nonjudgmental mentoring role throughout the text. As suggested by the title, Levy's approach includes options for reducing alcohol consumption (moderation) or quitting alcohol use altogether. Although allowing that moderation is a legitimate goal for treatment and/or self-help is still quite controversial in some quarters, the effectiveness of adopting this option for some drinkers is supported by research, some of which is cited in the notes that accompany each chapter. I suspect that the even-handed way that moderation or abstinence goals are treated in the book, along with its plain-spoken writing style and awareness that alcohol problems often exist in a context of other mental health issues, will appeal to any drinker who is curious about their own alcohol use and whether to reduce or quit drinking. Those who choose to engage with the material in the book will be using techniques that are, in general, well-supported by intervention research with problem drinkers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

L'Année Psychologique: History of the founding of a 100-year-old French journal.

The authors present the history of the founding of the French journal L'Année Psychologique. The names of T. Ribot (1839–1916), H. Beaunis (1830–1921), and A. Binet (1857–1911) are closely associated with the journal. Ribot's election to the chair of Experimental and Comparative Psychology at the Collège de France in 1888 marked the official emancipation of psychology in France. Because there was no laboratory associated with the chair, Beaunis, a physiological psychologist from Nancy, proposed to Ribot the creation of the first French laboratory of experimental psychology (1889). Under Beaunis's direction, this laboratory was established at the Sorbonne in Paris but was in fact dependent on another educational institution, L'Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes. In 1893 the laboratory's research was first published in a yearly journal named Travaux du Laboratoire de Psychologie Physiologique (2 volumes: 1893–1894). Binet, who joined the laboratory in 1891, was not satisfied by the form of this publication. With Beaunis's agreement, he then created L'Année Psychologique in 1894 to develop the reputation of the laboratory's research. The authors present the evolution and vicissitudes of the journal from 1895 to 1912, with a glance up to the present. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diagnostic efficiency of DSM–IV indicators for binge eating episodes.

Objective: Research has examined various aspects of the validity of the research criteria for binge eating disorder (BED) but has yet to evaluate the utility of the 5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM–IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) “indicators for impaired control” specified to help determine loss of control while overeating (i.e., binge eating). We examined the diagnostic efficiency of these indicators proposed as part of the research criteria for BED (eating until uncomfortably full; eating when not hungry; eating more rapidly than usual; eating in secret; and feeling disgust, shame, or depression after the episode). Method: A total of 916 community volunteers completed a battery of measures including questions about each of the indicators. Participants were categorized into 3 groups: BED (N = 164), bulimia nervosa (BN; N = 83), and non-binge-eating controls (N = 669). Four conditional probabilities (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive power [PPP], and negative predictive power [NPP]) as well as total predictive value (TPV) and kappa coefficients were calculated for each indicator criterion in separate analyses comparing BED, BN, and combined BED + BN groups relative to controls. Results: PPPs and NPPs suggest all of the indicators have predictive value, with eating alone because embarrassed (PPP = .80) and feeling disgusted (NPP = .93) performing as the best inclusion and exclusion criteria, respectively. The best overall indicators for correctly identifying binge eating (based on TPV and kappa) were eating when not hungry and eating alone because embarrassed. Conclusions: All 5 proposed indicators for impaired control for determining binge eating have utility, and the diagnostic efficiency statistics provide guidance for clinicians and the DSM–5 regarding their usefulness for inclusion or exclusion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of How open are we to the challenges of everyday creativity? A review of Everyday creativity and new views of human nature.

Reviews the book, Everyday creativity and new views of human nature, edited by Ruth Richards (see record 2007-09305-000). In this book, Richards and her contributors both invite and challenge readers to explore the multifaceted opportunities and transformative potential of everyday creativity. Contributors to the volume represent a surprisingly broad range of disciplines, traditions, units of analysis, and perspectives. The volume opens with an essay by Richards that effectively introduces the concept of everyday creativity and the focus of the book. After the introduction, contributors to Part 1 of the book challenge readers to wake up and be open to the potential for creativity in our everyday experiences. The contributors to the second part of Richards’s volume offer arguments, speculations, and challenges to rethink the possibilities (and responsibilities) of social and global creativity. Taken together, the essays not only underscore the elegance and transformative power of the concept of everyday creativity but also directly challenge readers to rethink their own conceptions of creativity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)