Review of Alcohol and the family: Research and clinical perspectives.

Reviews the book, Alcohol and the family: Research and clinical perspectives, edited by R. Lorraine Collins, Kenneth E. Leonard, and John Searles (see record 1990-97558-000). Alcohol and the family is divided into three parts. Part I describes the research on genetic influences that may determine whether someone develops a problem with alcohol. Part II focuses on family processes as they influence drinking behavior. Part III discusses various aspects of family-oriented treatment. Although this book does not purport to be a clinician's handbook, parts II and III provide a well-written, concise, and helpful discussion both of the role of family processes in the development and maintenance of drinking problems and of family approaches to their treatment. This book is "intended for both researchers and clinicians who have an interest in alcoholism and/or family related issues. [The editors] hope that the issues raised in the chapters in this volume will stimulate further developments in research and clinical endeavors on alcohol and the family." Indeed they will. This is a book worth reading by those with such interests, despite a few minor shortcomings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Families of handicapped persons: Research, programs, and policy issues.

Reviews the book, Families of handicapped persons: Research, programs, and policy issues by James J. Gallagher and Peter M. Vietze (1986). This edited volume consists of a collection of papers presented at the Conference on Families with Mentally Retarded Children sponsored by the Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in cooperation with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The purpose of the conference was to stimulate leaders in the field to both review current trends and project future research directions regarding issues relevant to families having members with mental retardation. The main text of the book is composed of sixteen chapters covering a variety of topics, such as the development of typologies for classifying families, adaptation to stress, the impact of the family life cycle on family adaptation, the role of the father in the family, sibling relationships, mentally retarded parents, behavioral parent training, and social policy issues. A major strength of the book is that a number of the authors advocated four perspectives that reflect a positive shift in philosophical approaches to the study of families having a child with mental retardation. The present reviewer found Wickler's chapter applying Hill's ABCX Stress Model to the study of family adaptation to be the most useful presentation among those advocating a systems/transactional approach to research on families having a disabled member. Unlike Wickler, other chapters focusing on family systems/stress issues tended to present vague connections between popular theoretical approaches (e.g., family systems theories, stress theories, Samaroff s transactional model) and the needs of families having a member with mental retardation (although Farren, Metzger, & Sparling is an exception here). In summary, this book presents some interesting ideas regarding areas that should be investigated by further research. Selected chapters within the book are very well conceptualized and clearly written. Although the remaining chapters present interesting ideas, they tend to be repetitive and somewhat vague with respect to specific research suggestions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Parent-child interaction and development disabilities: Theory, research, and intervention.

Reviews the book, Parent-child interaction and development disabilities: Theory, research, and intervention by Kofi Marfo (see record 1988-98167-000). The growing interest in social support family-centered interventions for developmentally disabled children has found expression in this volume. The editor has outlined an ambitious set of objectives for the book, including "the integration of theoretical, research and clinical perspectives" on parent-child interactions with handicapped children. While certainly not the first attempt to apply a family focus to this population (e.g., Gallagher & Vietze, 1986), this book provides both a multidisciplinary approach to the field with an emphasis on data presentation. The book is divided into four major parts: (1) social-emotional aspects of parent-child interaction, (2) maternal response style and language development, (3) issues in intervention and evaluation, and (4) a review of parent-child observational systems. Each section is preceded by a brief introduction to the authors and topics to be covered. Although this method of organization enhances the cohesion of each section, certain topics are covered in much greater depth than others. (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 Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research, and clinical applications.

Reviews the book, Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research, and clinical applications by Beverly Greene and Gregory M. Herek (1994). This volume is a collection of theoretical, research, and clinical articles which share in common only their focus of a psychological approach to gay and lesbian issues. Particularly admirable is the handling of a variety of lesbian issues including sexual pride and shame, physical appearance, and feminist politics of sexual orientation. There are also good articles on stereotypes and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. This volume moves the psychological study of lesbian and gay issues beyond being merely gay affirmative into looking at hard issues, and reconnecting gay studies with the larger body of psychological theory, research, and clinical practice. As a psychological potpourri of articles, it suggests what can be accomplished in lesbian and gay psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of implicit social cognition: Measurement, theory, and applications.

Reviews the book, Handbook of implicit social cognition: Measurement, theory, and applications edited by Bertram Gawronski and Keith B. Payne (see record 2010-13147-000). The comprehensive overview of theoretical models, empirical findings, and practical applications of research in implicit social cognition provided within this book is timely and warranted. The editors were successful in clearly outlining that implicit social cognition theory and measurement. A primary strength of this volume is the way in which seemingly divergent areas of research have been organized into five distinct sections, each of which builds upon the previous sections to provide a comprehensive understanding of implicit social cognition. Even the novice researcher may benefit from the practical guides to implicit theory and measurement. This book would be especially interesting and useful for active researchers across a variety of domains who are interested in understanding how implicit processes can influence human behaviour. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Altruism and Helping Behavior: Social, Personality and Developmental Perspectives.

Reviews the book, Altruism and Helping Behavior: Social, Personality and Developmental Perspectives edited by J. Philippe Rushton and Richard M. Sorrentino (1981). The book is divided into seven sections. The first consists of a chapter by the editors which reviews the historical roots of the study of altruistic behaviour. The second part consists of five chapters which examine the development of altruism from a range of perspectives - sociobiological, social learning, and motivational. The third section contains five chapters which review some of the internal mediators posited for prosocial behaviour- role-taking, empathy, personal and social norms, perceptions of justice, and affective arousal. Part four outlines research which bears on individual differences in altruism, with two chapters contributed by the editors. Part five consists of three chapters which review some of the situational constraints on helping behaviour-the inhibitory effects of group size on bystander intervention, the impact of urban density on helping, and the way in which group organization relates to naturalistic helping in children. The sixth section presents two chapters which examine the consequences of helping for both the donors and recipients of help. Finally, part seven consists of a chapter which reviews some of the major themes and issues addressed by the contributors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Family-of-origin therapy: An intergenerational approach.

Reviews the book, Family-of-origin therapy: An intergenerational approach by James L. Framo (see record 1992-97188-000). This book is a summation of the author's intergenerational approach to psychotherapy which has evolved in his 35 years of clinical practice. For his theoretical base he draws on Fairbairn's object relations theory, combined with Dicks' application of this theory to marital relationships. Framo further integrates this approach with the basic precepts of Bowen's multigenerational theory, particularly Bowen's emphasis on bypassing transferential issues by encouraging patients to connect with members of their family-of-origin. The innovative and unique aspect of Framo's psychotherapeutic approach is his use of one or two family-of-origin sessions. In the course of psychotherapy with adult clients, whether seen individually, as a couple, or in a couples group, he encourages them to bring in the members of their family-of-origin for two, two-hour sessions. The purpose is for the patient to develop the capacity and the courage to talk directly to all familial significant others about unresolved issues between them, rather than spending months or years talking to their therapist about these issues, or in analyzing the patient's transferential projections onto the therapist. Framo's thesis is that the family-of-origin consultation can have great power in producing positive change and flexibility in the individual and in the marital and family systems. He states that the intergenerational encounter can "create an opportunity for forgiveness for alleged wrongs, for mutual misunderstandings, compromise, acceptance and resolution." In this book the author clearly delineates his conceptual basis as well as providing explicit guidelines regarding the conduct of the family-of-origin sessions. The book is an important addition to the proliferating family therapy literature and a significant step toward integrating object relations and family systems theories and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Fathers who fail: Shame and psychopathology in the family system.

Reviews the book, Fathers who fail: Shame and psychopathology in the family system by Melvin R. Lansky (see record 1992-98607-000). This book is composed of a collection of the author's essays which attempt to understand "the psychiatrically impaired father in a truly dynamic way." Drawing on contemporary psychoanalysis, family systems theory, and the sociology of conflict, Lansky sketches a richly textured portrait of fathers who fail. The reviewer believes that Lansky's probing discussion of narcissistic equilibrium in the family system enables him to chart the likely history of the more intimidating modes of distancing involving impulsive actions of impaired fathers. After summarizing the information presented in each chapter, the reviewer then concludes that the book largely succeeds in its task because it provides a deeper, more integrated clinical understanding of fathers who fail. It is highly recommended for selective reading for therapists and researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cross-cultural research methods in psychology.

Reviews the book, Cross-cultural research methods in psychology edited by David Matsumoto and Fons J. R. Van de Vijver (see record 2010-22491-000). The purpose of this book is to further the potential of cross-cultural psychology by helping researchers to understand the unique difficulties inherent in the field and the current methodologies used to advance quality research. Matsumoto and van de Vijver have compiled a comprehensive yet simply organized volume that speaks to the theoretical and analytic issues met by graduate students and advanced researchers alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social discourse and moral judgment.

Reviews the book, Social discourse and moral judgment by Daniel N. Robinson (see record 1992-98331-000). It is not every day that a group of such original scholars in any field come together to debate a topic of genuine significance. Social Discourse and Moral Judgment is the result of such an occasion, a symposium dedicated to examining social constructionist contributions to the study of moral judgment, conducted at Georgetown University during March of 1991. Although all of the articles in this volume assume some level of familiarity with psychological theory and vocabulary, Social Discourse and Moral Judgment should appeal to the philosophical novice as well as those well-versed in social constructionist theory. While it is entirely impossible to adequately describe or summarize the complex argument and debate presented in this volume in so brief a space, some examination of the issues discussed should serve to illuminate its worth. Although there are many themes which reoccur throughout the book, discussion of only three (agency, individualism and relativism) are dealt with in this review. As a genuinely significant contribution to research in morality and moral judgment, this book has only two drawbacks. The first, which Robinson acknowledges, is simply that there were not more selections presented from the final discussion, and that the selections presented are sometimes sketchy and hard to follow. The second drawback is that there is no critique of the social constructionist position from a clearly hermeneutic or other continental perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social Learning and Clinical Psychology.

Reviews the book "Social learning and clinical psychology," by Julian B. Rotter (see record 2005-06617-000). The stated purpose of this book is to arrive at a systematic theory from which may be drawn specific principles for actual clinical practice, and to illustrate some of the more important applications of the theory to the practice. The first three chapters represent for the most part a clear and incisive introduction to the major purpose of the book, chapters which can be read with profit by all clinical psychologists. The next four chapters, which represent the bulk of the book, contain the aims and concepts of Rotter's social learning position as well as the ways in which it differs from other approaches. Rotter's discussion and evaluation of psychoanalytic theory is amazingly superficial and, to the unwary graduate student, misleading. First, it represents one of the few attempts to formulate and apply a learning theory to clinical phenomena and problems-the more such courageous attempts we have, the better will we be able to evaluate the adequacy of such theories. Second, Rotter's formulations have generated a relatively large number of studies at The Ohio State University-a tribute not only to Rotter's effectiveness as a teacher but a reflection of the fruitfulness of the formulations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Stochastic models for learning.

Reviews the book "Stochastic models for learning" by R. R. Bush and F. Mosteller (see record 1955-15028-000). This contribution to learning theory analyzes the results of many learning experiments in terms of a probabilistic hypothesis after setting up a general theoretical model from which specific models to fit particular results can be derived. While this book is not an applied book except in the sense that mathematical techniques of much power are applied to basic psychological problems, it represents a distinct advance in the scientific analysis of learning data. Ultimately applied psychology may benefit from the methods so developed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A quarter century of normalization and social role valorization: Evolution and impact.

Reviews the book, A quarter century of normalization and social role valorization: Evolution and impact edited by Robert J. Flynn and Raymond A. Lemay (see record 2001-00115-000). The appearance of this new book by Flynn and Lemay presents a timely opportunity to reassess the status and value of the concepts of normalization and social valorization as they pertain to people with developmental, psychiatric, and intellectual impairments. The book consists of an introduction and 29 chapters organized into seven parts: historical evolution of the concepts (4 chapters), critical perspectives (4 chapters), links with social science theory and research (5 chapters), dissemination through training and education (3 chapters), international impact (9 chapters), personal impact (3 chapters), and the future (1 chapter). This organization holds together reasonably well. As might be expected, the chapters vary in both precision of writing and robustness of content. This book has value at many levels. Most immediately, it provides a useful historical overview and summary of concepts that have had an impact on human services in the latter half of the past century. At an intermediate level, it stimulates thinking about conceptual research issues that have immense relevance to psychology generally and to the enhancement of life opportunities for marginalized citizens. At a deeper level, the debates and discussions prompt serious thought about the fundamental forces driving social policy and about the ways in which humans relate to each other. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social support networks: Informal helping in the human services.

Reviews the book, Social support networks: Informal helping in the human services, edited by James K. Whittaker and James Garbarino (1983). Whittaker and Garbarino have compiled an excellent compendium describing social support systems. The introductory chapters review the history and present political, economic, theoretical, and practical implications of fostering and using the resources of family, community, and self-help groups to alleviate a variety of human problems. The chapters that follow, contributed by experts in their respective fields, give a "state of the art" overview that describes how informal networks operate in mental and physical health care, services to the elderly, child welfare, day care, aid to divorced families, schools, delinquency prevention and treatment, drug abuse treatment, and treatment of those with developmental disabilities. Rehabilitation psychologists should find the book helpful. It constitutes a necessary first step for those interested in developing the area of social support networks by researching the conditions under which various types of help are indeed helpful or harmful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Self-control and self-modification of emotional behavior.

Reviews the book, Self-control and self-modification of emotional behavior edited by Kirk R. Blankstein and Janet Polivy (1982). This volume incorporates a range of diverse views on self-control and an application of these varied perspectives to several types of emotional behaviours. The specific content of the chapters ranges through ageing, alcohol use and abuse, loneliness, the Type A coronary-prone behaviour pattern, eating behaviour, and self-help approaches to self-management. While there is a bias towards a behavioural perspective on self-control and self-modification, the text generally reflects a multi-theoretical approach to theory and clinical practice. This book offers a wide variety of theory and content around the general issue of self-control. Each chapter stands on its own, and the text will find its most utility among researchers and clinicians in each specific area of interest. It is in the collection of these specific chapters that the book makes its contribution to the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Fathers who fail: Shame and psychopathology in the family system.

Reviews the book, Fathers who fail: Shame and psychopathology in the family system by Melvin R. Lansky (see record 1992-98607-000). Melvin Lansky's riveting book is about fathers who cannot find their way in the world of either love or work, but are driven to self-destructive bonds with others by problems with their "paternal imago." This book addresses the central role of the affect of shame, and the defenses against experiencing it, leading to varieties of "impulsive" symptom formation, disturbing the capacity for sustaining work or love relationships and constantly threatening breakdown of fragile self-esteem. Symptoms are viewed as failed efforts to escape shame through rage and to rigidly regulate optimal distance in family relationships. The attempt throughout is to meld a variety of psychoanalytic perspectives with family systems perspectives. The book is organized into several sections, beginning with an overview entitled Symptom, System and Personality in Fathers Who Fail, followed by The Paternal Imago. Next comes Defenses Against Shame: Narcissistic Equilibrium in the Family System, and then a section on shame and symptom formation. A section entitled Treatment Difficulties completes the book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A World of Difference: Gender Roles in Perspective.

Reviews the book, A World of Difference: Gender Roles in Perspective by Esther R. Greenglass (1982). In A World of Difference, Esther Greenglass has given us an excellent social-psychological perspective on sex, gender, and sex-role differences. Greenglass clearly analyses current research on these topics with the perspective of the culture in which gender-based behaviour occurs. Equally important, however, is the discussion of the social and cultural context of the research itself. Aside from this important and useful discussion of the research in its social context, there is a very thorough review of contemporary issues relating to gender roles. This is a very readable book for students. The collection of pictures and cartoons depicting contemporary male and female roles illustrates the issues while showing their humorous side. Throughout the book, there are examples of Canadian data and Canadian research which will make the book particularly appealing to those who find that U.S. texts are too chauvinistic about the American experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)