Review of The Cambridge companion to Piaget.

Reviews the book, The Cambridge companion to Piaget edited by Ulrich Müller, Jeremy Carpendale, and Leslie Smith (see record 2010-05478-000). In the 30th anniversary year of Piaget’s death, Müller, Carpendale, and Smith propose a much-needed comprehensive introduction to the key aspects of this legendary psychologist’s work. While there have been several monographs available on Piaget’s theory, they tend to focus on either Piaget’s theoretical or empirical work. The current authors have solicited 18 individually solid chapters that survey both the theoretical and epistemological aspects of Piaget’s work and elaborate on the relations between empirical research and epistemological issues. The volume covers a large territory, spanning from the personal and historical contexts that shaped Piaget’s intellectual growth to brief introductions of Piaget’s empirical work on cognitive development in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. It follows up with current neo-Piagetian models of cognitive development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

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 Networks of the brain.

Reviews the book, Networks of the brain by Olaf Sporns (see record 2010-10728-000). This book provides a much-welcomed synthesis of the network perspective. This perspective is not entirely new. First, as indicated by the well-selected quotes from eminent historical figures—Golgi, Cajal, Broca, James, and Hebb included—that Sporns employs to introduce each chapter, network ideas have been considered for some time. Second, the core tools used to analyse networks, primarily graph theory (which dates back to 18th century mathematician Leonhard Euler), are well-established. Sporns provides a comprehensive, tour-de-force overview of the cutting edge of the application of network science to neuroscience. This is a book that everyone with an interest in brain function should read. It provides a grand overview of a field that will undoubtedly hold a central position in the future of neuroscience—if it has not already taken that position now. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Hebbian perspective on mind-brain relations.

Reviews the book, Essay on Mind by D.O. Hebb (1980). This is the third book by Canada's most distinguished and influential psychologist, Donald Olding Hebb. Essay on Mind presents readers with an opportunity to see why Hebb and his writings have had such an impact: In this book, Hebb presents a succinct account of the development of cell-assembly theory and its applications, as well as views on important philosophical and scientific issues. Hebb argues that his type of theory is not "mere translation" because the physiological theory and data impose constraints on psychological concepts. Moreover, such theorizing can be useful in that it leads to new evidence or tells a theorist how to look at available evidence from different aspects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practice.

Reviews the book, Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practice edited by David A. Clark and Aaron T. Beck (2009). Drs. Clark and Beck’s book Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: Science and practise is a comprehensive review of cognitive therapy for anxiety from its empirical theoretical foundation to its clinical application to disorders. Although the focus of the text is ultimately on the cognitive treatment of anxiety, the rich theoretical background that is interwoven throughout makes this book of interest to academics and graduate students as well as clinicians. The book is divided into three parts, each with several chapters: 1) cognitive theory and research on anxiety; 2) assessment and intervention techniques used in cognitive therapy for anxiety; and 3) the application of cognitive therapy to specific anxiety disorders (e.g., panic disorder, obsessive– compulsive disorder [OCD]). Overall, this book is an excellent resource for researchers and clinicians working in the field of anxiety disorders. The reference section alone makes it a valuable addition to one’s bookshelf, and the authors have done an excellent job of organising a vast, and at time disparate, body of research into a cohesive review of cognitive theory as it applies to anxiety. Although the treatment chapters may be a bit overly ambitious in attempting to review both the research and the application of the cognitive model to the treatment of specific disorders, the book in its entirety is clearly an essential text for those interested in obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cognitive therapy and anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Neuroscience of cognitive development: The role of experience and the developing brain.

Reviews the book, Neuroscience of cognitive development: The role of experience and the developing brain by Charles A. Nelson, Michelle de Haan, and Kathleen M. Thomas (see record 2006-09288-000). The goal of this book is to provide a state-of-the-art introduction to the neural bases of cognitive development. The first chapter reviews different aspects of brain development. Chapter two illustrates how experience induces changes in the developing brain as well as in the adult brain, and addresses the question of similarities and differences between neural plasticity in children and adults. The next chapter introduces different methods to study the brain and discusses advantages and disadvantages of each method. In Chapters four through eleven, the authors review the current knowledge about the neurological bases in a number of key areas of cognitive development. The book should be of interest to psychologists who seek a thorough review of the neurological bases associated with various cognitive abilities in infants and children. It might also usefully accompany a graduate course on developmental neuroscience, keeping in mind that the book presupposes a good grasp of neuroanatomy, and of the methods used in the study of the brain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychoanalysis: Freud’s cognitive psychology.

Reviews the book, Psychoanalysis: Freud’s cognitive psychology by Matthew Hugh Erdelyi (see record 1985-97974-000). Few psychoanalytic clinicians or experimental psychologists ever bother to develop a historical or meta-theoretical perspective on their discipline, or pause to ponder the obstacles encountered and avenues taken or ignored en route to a synthesis between psychoanalytic, experimental and cognitive psychology. For those who have already pondered these issues somewhat, Erdelyi's book is a positive pleasure, full of penetrating insights, programmatic suggestions and astute historical reflections. For those new to the area, it is the best available introduction to the field, grounded, as it is, in a fluent grasp of the various methods and models of unconscious mental processes in these increasingly convergent fields of inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The factor-analytic approach to intelligence is alive and well: A review of Carroll, J. B. (1993). Human cognitive abilities: A survey of factor-analytic studies.

Reviews the book, Human cognitive abilities: A survey of factor-analytic studies by J. B. Carroll (see record 1993-97611-000). Carroll divides his book into three parts. The first is a historical and conceptual review of psychometric theory. Carroll begins by clearly defining and differentiating key concepts such as ability, aptitude, achievement, latent trait, and intervening variable, although recognizing that in practice it is often difficult to make absolute distinctions. The second part, and the bulk of the book, is a detailed analysis and synthesis of a myriad of findings in the area of cognitive abilities. In the third part of his book, Carroll summarizes his undertaking and addresses traditional concerns and controversies. He compares and contrasts his model of cognitive abilities with that of others. Although Carroll's book does not and indeed cannot resolve the issues and controversies concerning the nature of human cognitive abilities, it does represent a notable contribution to our ongoing endeavours. It undoubtedly is a book that anyone interested in cognitive abilities would wish to explore because of its encyclopedic, in-depth coverage of the topic. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Left and right tracks in reading.

Reviews the book, The Psychology of Reading by I. Taylor and M. M. Taylor (1983). The reviewer provides an overview of the authors' Bilateral Cooperative Model of Reading (BLC), which is an attempt to integrate the divergent perspectives of wholistic and analytic theory. The BLC model serves as a framework for the 16 chapters of the book. The reviewer commends the authors for their detailed discussion of orthographies, perceptual and cognitive processes in reading, higher-order language processing, and developmental dyslexia. While the reviewer warns that the authors need to clarify the relevance of data from studies not specifically concerned with hemispheric differences, he believes that the book is worth reading because it develops the perspectives on reading within the context of cognitive psychology--an important step in the construction of a comprehensive theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Piecing together the neuroscience of creativity: Review of Creativity and the brain.

Reviews the book, Creativity and the brain by Kenneth M. Heilman (see record 2005-05841-000). This book is a well-written introduction to the neurobiology of creativity and related cognitive constructs. Although it may not be the best source for neuroscience professionals or those looking for specific information about the neural mechanics of creativity, it is definitely a worthy read for an interested layperson. Heilman walks the reader through a variety of issues related to creativity: intelligence, handedness, gender, neurological disorders, and several others. He is an excellent writer--good at explaining complex ideas such as brain physiology--and his diagrams and language are accessible and "user friendly." Most chapters begin with a basic overview of the neuroscience relevant to the chapter's specific topic. This organization is especially helpful to those unfamiliar with the basics. The thematic chapters, however, present a problem. Chapters such as Intelligence, Knowledge and Talents, Imagery, Gender, Aging, and Nurture are all appropriate topics for a book on creativity; however, the structure feels distracting, as if Heilman is skirting the issue of creativity and the neurobiology specific to it. Instead of delving into direct questions on structures or neurotransmitters in the brain, Heilman focuses on the neuroscience of constructs related to creativity. This book is a worthwhile exploration of the neurological mechanisms of cognitive constructs which are related to creativity--areas such as intelligence, aging, and disability. For an educated layperson looking for a clear, well-written, synopsis of these ideas, the reviewer recommends the book. However, as an academic book published by an academic press, it is neither current enough nor detailed enough to be of any special interest to a creativity or neuroscience researcher. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social intervention: Theory and practice.

Reviews the book, Social intervention: Theory and practice, edited by Edward M. Bennett (see record 1987-98585-000). Scholarly literature in the field of social change is extensive, but knowledge of the nature of that change and the process of how it is implemented and carried out is limited. According to Bennett, this lacuna is due to the fact that writings in the field have dealt with interventions within a system and not with change of the system itself. The scarcity of meaningful study of social intervention, Bennett believes, is due to the unwillingness of social scientists to 1) function together in teams to address what is in essence a problem, 2) to pair-up with practitioners working on social intervention projects in joint ventures, and 3) to address the limitations of the logical positivist traditions of their university bases. To overcome these obstacles, Bennett has called upon both academics and practitioners from various disciplines to present both theory and interventions dealing with social problems. The book contains 14 chapters divided into four parts: I, Introduction; II, Cultural, Ideological and Educational Approaches to Social Intervention; III, Legal, Policy and Political Approaches to Social Intervention; and IV, Community Economic Development Approaches to Social Intervention. This book represents a Herculean task. Any text which would include the diversity of professions and disciplines in an effort to integrate theory and practice relating to social intervention is a challenge few would undertake. In doing so, Bennett has produced a volume which does indeed represent a serious attempt to come to grips with how to change a system instead of just the parts of that system. He has achieved this by insisting on a workable conceptual structure, theme and focus for all contributors regardless of the content areas covered by the authors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive science: Making the whole different from the sum of its parts.

Reviews the book, From models to modules: Studies in cognitive science from the McGill workshops edited by I. Gopnik and M. Gopnik (1986). This book is only moderately successful in conveying the exciting advances that are beginning to appear as a result of the interdisciplinary efforts in cognitive science. The book's emphasis on language processes and linguistics will seriously limit its potential readership, although there are some contributions from outside that domain. Moreover, many of the chapters were not prepared with a general audience in mind, and to appreciate a number of the chapters fully the reader must have a strong linguistic background. A more severe problem is that the chapters are based on a series of workshops held at McGill University in 1982 and 1983. The sad consequences are that (a) the book is badly out of date (few references are more recent than 1983), (b) most of the contributions were not original but were based on ideas and results that were or were about to be in print at the time the workshops were held, and (c) many of the chapters are so short that they do not provide adequate depth of coverage. At this late date, the value of the book may be as a summary of a few of the early issues and methodologies that have captured the attention of cognitive scientists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Le legs de Hebb.

Discusses the influence of Donald Olding Hebb (1904–1985) on the discipline of psychology. The author notes that Hebb's principled opposition to radical behaviourism and emphasis on understanding what goes on between stimulus and response (perception, learning, thinking) helped clear the way for the cognitive revolution. His view of psychology as a biological science and his neuropsychological cell-assembly proposal rejuvenated interest in physiological psychology. Since his death, Hebb's seminal ideas exert an ever-growing influence on those interested in mind (cognitive science), brain (neuroscience), and how brains implement mind (cognitive neuroscience). Specific events in Hebb's career are outlined, with particular attention to the influence on psychology of his book The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory (1949). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Hebb legacy.

Discusses the influence of Donald Olding Hebb (1904–1985) on the discipline of psychology. The author notes that Hebb's principled opposition to radical behaviourism and emphasis on understanding what goes on between stimulus and response (perception, learning, thinking) helped clear the way for the cognitive revolution. His view of psychology as a biological science and his neuropsychological cell-assembly proposal rejuvenated interest in physiological psychology. Since his death, Hebb's seminal ideas exert an ever-growing influence on those interested in mind (cognitive science), brain (neuroscience), and how brains implement mind (cognitive neuroscience). Specific events in Hebb's career are outlined, with particular attention to the influence on psychology of his book The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory (1949). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Constructive evolution: Origins and development of Piaget's thought.

Reviews the book, Constructive evolution: Origins and development of Piaget's thought by Michael Chapman (see record 1988-97990-000). Canadian developmental psychologists have been among the harshest critics, most articulate supporters, and most creative extenders of Piaget's theory. Michael Chapman's book is in this reflective and interpretive tradition. Chapman's primary goal in the book is neither to criticize, support, nor extend Piaget's theory (although he does some of each), but to clarify the meaning of the theory, and to specify its domain of application. Chapman does this by tracing the growth of Piaget's thinking using Piaget's autobiographical papers as a map. The first six chapters comprise Chapman's historical analysis, which begins with Piaget's adolescence, a point in life where Piaget was later to say that cognitive development ends (although he was to retract the claim still later in his career). In the last two chapters of the book, Chapman uses his historical analysis to clarify the philosophical and psychological significance of Piaget's theory. Chapman's book is an excellent integration of Piaget's theory in that it places the theory in the context of the questions that motivated it. But for all the clarity that Chapman's historical analysis brings to Piaget's thought, the analysis opens a number of new questions. What Chapman has done successfully is to provide a view of the nature, limits, and future of Piagetian theory by examining its origins and evolution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of cognitive behavioural therapies.

Reviews the book, Handbook of cognitive behavioural therapies edited by Keith S. Dobson (1989). This book is not what I would normally consider a handbook, lacking the breadth I expect in such a book. It is, rather, an edited text with a number of interesting articles that would be most useful for covering approaches in a course on psychotherapy and behaviour change. These include a good chapter on cognitive assessment by Segal and Shaw, comprehensive chapters on five different types of cognitive therapy by leading proponents of the approach, plus a chapter on methods with children, and finally a theoretical chapter by Mahoney. There are also helpful introductory and concluding chapters by Dobson. In his concluding chapter on the present and future of the approach, Dobson provides an interesting summary of issues, covering theory growth and revision, cognitive assessment, therapy expansion and evaluation, and the exploration of developmental bases of adult disturbance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Intellectual development: Birth to adulthood.

Reviews the book, Intellectual development: Birth to adulthood by Robbie Case (1985). One method for making tractable the complexities of human cognitive growth is to impose organization via a bold and expansive theory. Piaget's theory is exemplary. Robbie Case, in Intellectual Development: Birth to Adulthood, has improved and extended the approach. In Case's work, stages of cognitive development are revealed by the integration of structural and process analyses. Structural analysis is the use of a formalism or interpretive grid to describe the organization of intellectual operations required by a task. The formalism is Case's theory is the executive control structure, consisting of three lists: a representation of the problem situation, a representation of desired objectives, and cognitive and behavioural strategies. The process analysis provides an account of the integration of executive control structures and information processing capacities that are unique to each of four stages from birth to adulthood. The book succeeds as macrotheory. The issues that must be addressed by a complete account of human cognitive development are clearly summarized. Throughout the book there is considered review of advances in cognitive developmental inquiry. Workable tenets are borrowed, inadequacies are highlighted, and alternatives are put forward. There is a deliberate resolve to repair and continue to build stage theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cognition.

Reviews the book, Cognition by John G. Benjafield, et al. (2010). Cognition (4th ed.) provides a comprehensive introduction to cognitive psychology for undergraduate students and others who require an overview of the area. New in the fourth edition is a chapter on cognitive neuroscience. The reviewer only has one criticism of Benjafield et al.: Citations for published works in every chapter that also appeared in the third edition stop around 2007 or earlier (when the third edition was published). Cognition is a book that will appeal to those looking for a high-level, scholarly survey of cognitive psychology. It is this aspect of Cognition that sets it apart from most other textbooks that cover cognitive psychology. Yet, despite its scholarly approach, it remains an engaging text that makes the reader want to keep reading more: a delicate balance, but one that Benjafield et al. manage with aplomb. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Human abilities in cultural context.

Reviews the book, Human abilities in cultural context by S. H. Irvine and J. W. Berry (see record 1988-98683-000). The three main sections of this book provide a contemporary and historical survey of theory and research in the three areas that have dominated the study of the nature and measurement of intelligence; namely, the cognitive information-processing, Piagetian, and psychometric perspectives. Readers have become accustomed to books which express cither the biological or the sociocultural point of view on intelligence. Although the present volume is on human abilities in cultural context, the editors should be congratulated tor attracting authors who represent both the biological and sociocultural perspectives. This comprehensive collection of reviews will be a basic reference for students and researchers in cognition for many years to come. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)