On History of Psychology’s launch.

This editorial describes the launching of a new scholarly journal at the end of 20th century, and discusses why print publication remains for many reasons the preferred (and most accessible) medium for circulation. Also discussed are the journal's intellectual and institutional goals. If History of Psychology is to prosper it must address the scholarly and pedagogical needs and interests of its audience. One of its most significant components comprises those who teach the thousands of courses in history and systems of psychology required by just about all U.S. graduate and undergraduate programs in psychology. Others are interested in the opportunity of applying psychological methods and insights to the study of the past itself (an endeavor long recognized as "psychohistory") or studying the history of consciousness and behavior (what some now call "historical psychology"). Remarkably, no currently published scholarly journal provides in one place a forum where serious historians of psychology, psychohistorians, and historical psychologists can all publish their work and read that of those who share their interests. History of Psychology seeks to fill this gap. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Normalizing the ideal: Psychology, schooling, and the family in postwar Canada.

Reviews the book, Normalizing the ideal: Psychology, schooling, and the family in postwar Canada by Mona Gleason (1999). The history of psychology in Canada has not received the attention it deserves. This book is a bold attempt to sketch the development of the discipline and its influence on child-rearing practices and education in post-war Canada. Unfortunately, the author appears to have been guided by a theoretical perspective that can best be characterized as an uninspiring blend of Michel Foucault, Christopher Lasch, and reductionist 1970s feminist scholarship. Gleason's portrayal of the development of psychology, is inadequate on several counts. First, throughout the book, psychology is presented as a monolithic discipline characterized by complete consensus, theoretical unity, and a single-minded purpose of influencing society. Second, Gleason claims that psychologists forced their definitions of normalcy upon an unsuspecting and innocent population by intruding into previously private realms and extending the tentacles of its expertise in building up a professional tyranny. Third, Gleason frequently criticizes psychology for reinforcing and reproducing the social status quo and presenting the ideal family in terms of white, middleclass, heterosexual, and patriarchal ideals. Fourth, she seems to condemn psychologists for inflicting their ideas on an unsuspecting population because they were driven by ulterior motives such as self-aggrandizement and an attempt to increase their own professional power. Gleason's is the first book to provide an overview of the influence of psychology on Canadian society after World War II. Her analysis would have gained from investigating and highlighting the different and at times mutually exclusive ideas, motives, and theories of Canadian psychologists instead of assuming their uniformity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Departments of Psychology in Canada--1967.

Presents information on departments of psychology in Canadian universities, as well as those offering graduate training. Also provided are data on the number of professorial staff in each department in the session 1966-67. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions.

Reviews the book, Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions by A. W. Pressey and J. P. Zubek (1970). A collection of seventy articles, sixty-eight of which are written by Canadian psychologists and other psychologists resident at some point in Canada, comprise the content of this set of readings. Two other contributions are by distinguished Canadian physicians. The organization of the book is in fourteen parts following the traditional divisions of an introductory text in psychology. The articles are from a variety of places but predominantly from the Canadian Journal of Psychology. Others are from such prestigious sources as Science and Nature. First-course instructors will find the "readings" well worth examining. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions.

This reprinted article originally appeared in Canadian Psychologist, 1971, Vol 12(1), 87-89. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2007-02140-023.) Reviews the book, Readings in General Psychology: Canadian Contributions by A. W. Pressey and J. P. Zubek (1970). A collection of seventy articles, sixty-eight of which are written by Canadian psychologists and other psychologists resident at some point in Canada, comprise the content of this set of readings. Two other contributions are by distinguished Canadian physicians. The organization of the book is in fourteen parts following the traditional divisions of an introductory text in psychology. The articles are from a variety of places but predominantly from the Canadian Journal of Psychology. Others are from such prestigious sources as Science and Nature. First-course instructors will find the "readings" well worth examining. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology: The adaptive mind.

Reviews the book, Psychology: The adaptive mind by James S. Nairne, Martin S. Smith, and D. Stephen Lindsay (2001). This book contains references to Canadian researchers past and present and to Canadian websites, pictures of Canadian researchers, references to Canadian incidents (the Swissair flight crash off the coast of Nova Scotia opens the text), citations to the Canadian Psychological Association as well as to Canadian funding agencies (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC), and mentions of Canadian institutions. The reviewer was impressed by the fact that the authors accomplish their Canadian task without compromising any of the classic topics and studies in the field. The authors' writing style is accessible and easy to follow. The 16 chapters are well organized and thorough. The examples are relevant and of interest to undergraduate students. This text, while not addressing the issue directly, does note that women have been overlooked in historical treatments of psychology and makes a point of including the influence of women pioneers in psychology. A second concerns the overreliance on undergraduate students as research participants representing the adult population. The reviewer find this text to rank among the best when considering Introductory Psychology textbooks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Abnormal psychology perspectives.

Reviews the book, Abnormal psychology perspectives by William L. Marshall and Philip Firestone (1999). Marshall and Firestone have chosen to construct an edited text, using Canadian experts for each of the 19 chapters. Aside from the fact that Abnormal Psychology Perspectives is a top notch text, the quality of materials provided for instructors is also excellent. For each chapter, the instructor's manual provides a summary, major issues and key points, resources for lecture material, as well as suggested topics for classroom discussion. There is a hard copy and computerized test bank containing approximately 1,900 multiple-choice and essay questions. A separate study guide is available that will assist students to organize chapters, focus on key concepts, and provide an opportunity to practice answering multiple-choice questions or questions that require short answers, such as filling in missing terms. This is an excellent abnormal psychology textbook, which was constructed with the Canadian mental health context at its core. It is long overdue and has set a standard against which future texts should be measured. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Industrial Psychology as an Academic Discipline.

The potential conflict for the industrial psychologist in a liberal arts setting is that in one role he is on the side of theory, broad social concern, and contributions to the liberal education of his students, and in the other role, on the side of practical techniques for getting things done, concern for a more limited sector of society, and vocational preparations of his students. This paper is a personal effort to clarify a personal conviction that such conflict is unreal and unnecessary. While industrial psychology is indeed a professional field of practical endeavor, and while it does in fact offer much that is useful to managers and administrators, it is also a broadly significant body of knowledge that intrinsically deserves to grow. In short, it is the author's conviction that industrial psychology is or can become an academic discipline occupying a rightful place within the liberal arts setting of Academia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Readings in social psychology: Classic and Canadian contributions.

Reviews the book, Readings in social psychology: Classic and Canadian contributions edited by Brian Earn and Shelagh Towson (1986). Earn and Towson argue that students should know that social psychology is an active discipline with significant contributions from their own nation, that there are areas of research of particular relevance to the Canadian context, and that they should be able to gain from incidental learning about their own society. The format of the book is rather conventional. Readings are grouped into content areas: social motives (aggression and altruism), social influence, attitudes, social interactions (attraction and loneliness), attribution and cognition, ethnic relations, prejudice, and applications (TV influence, social support, law). It includes contributions by many of the most prominent social psychologists in Canada, and several "classic" papers by U.S. social psychologists. As one who has long regretted the fact that we are compelled to teach social psychology with only foreign materials, the reviewer welcomes the publication of this book. The reviewer hopes that in the second edition the editors take more seriously the purpose of a book of readings, and set out to communicate to undergraduate students what social psychological research is all about. The reviewer also hopes that the publisher is able to produce a volume that looks more professional and is easier to read. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Foundations of Experimental Research.

Reviews the book, Foundations of Experimental Research by Robert Plutchik (1968). The reviewer was impressed with the scope, aim, and concept of this book. The author appears to have synthesized, in many cases, the best of what is found in McGuigan's "Experimental Psychology", Underwood's second edition of "Experimental Psychology" and the more advanced text, "Introduction to Psychological Research", by Scott and Wertheimer. In comparison with other books of its level in the field, the book by Plutchik would be certainly recommended. It has failings, but far fewer than most other books that are competitive with it. It is short enough so that where these weaknesses are found, supplementary material can be used in the course. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A History of Genetic Psychology: The First Science of Human Development.

Reviews the book, A History of Genetic Psychology: The First Science of Human Development, edited by Robert E. Grinder (see record 1967-35029-000). This is essentially a book of readings which attempts to trace the history of the G. Stanley Hall brand of genetic psychology which, in a sense, formed the background for certain aspects of modern educational psychology. The authors of the readings include Aristotle, Edward L. Thorndike, Thomas H. Huxley, Henry Drummond, and Ellsworth Lancaster, as well as G. Stanley Hall. The editor has provided a "Prospectus" in which he outlines the history of the theories of pangenesis, acquired characteristics, and vitalism, relating them to genetic psychology. In addition, each of the five sections of the book is introduced by a few pages of explanatory material in an attempt to give the readings some continuity. The reviewer feels that a detailed scholarly treatment of the many complicated influences of evolutionary theory upon psychology would be of great value, and sees this volume as possibly contributing some of the necessary motivation to the achievement of such a goal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Suicide in Canada.

Reviews the book, Suicide in Canada, edited by Antoon A. Leenaars, Susanne Wenckstern, Isaac Sakinofsky, Ronald J. Dyck, Michael J. Kral, and Roger C. Bland (1998). This book is a major volume dedicated to an acute public health phenomenon in Canada. The book is divided into nine sections. Although there is overlap among the sections, they retain distinctions that warrant their separation. The sections (history; epidemiology and the Canadian scene; theory and research; first nations and Inuit; family, community, and government approaches; youth suicide, schools, and communities; distress centers; survivors; the right to die) are laid out in a logical order. The volume is appealing for its use of chapters that vary from being very formal and research focused, to those that are highly experiential and voiced in the first person. Taken as a whole, this book on suicide in Canada has much to commend it. Although one might argue that any given book might better focus on either a more scholarly, research orientation, or a more experiential, qualitative viewpoint, this reviewer did not find the mixture of approaches in this work disquieting. Given the timeliness and enduring importance of the topic, it can be said that Suicide in Canada will be the book on the topic for the foreseeable future. Indeed, given the scope and depth of the book, it is a landmark edition for future Canadian suicidologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Experimental Psychology of Sensory Behaviour.

Reviews the book, The Experimental Psychology of Sensory Behaviour by John F. Corso. The evaluation of John Corso's book depends to a great extent upon the use for which it is intended. As a text for an experimental psychology course, this book unfortunately has some serious limitations. This is of considerable value for some types of courses; however, for a course in experimental psychology it would seem desirable to give students a broader range of methodologies than those used in sensory psychology. This is a good, but somewhat limited, experimental psychology text that would need considerable supplementation from other sources in order to be adequate for general experimental courses in psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Madhouse and The Lobotomist.

Reviews the books, Madhouse: A Tragic Tale of Megalomania and Modern Medicine by Andrew Scull (see record 2005-06776-000); and The Lobotomist: A Maverick Medical Genius and His Tragic Quest to Rid the World of Mental Illness by Jack El-Hai (see record 2005-02343-000). In both books, the history of experimental clinical psychiatry is laid bare with devastating accounts of the efforts to conquer mental illness by any means necessary. Both books are fascinating reading and may illuminate our current context in which the biological avenues for treating mental disorders continue to traffic in hopes of a one-size-fits-all cure, while psychoanalysis ambivalently struggles with how to conduct rigorous research to demonstrate the efficacy of our treatment. Andrew Scull's book Madhouse offers a well-documented historical account of a bizarre episode in American psychiatric history. The centerpiece of Scull's investigative work is Henry Cotton, MD, the superintendent of the Trenton State Hospital in Trenton, New Jersey, from 1907-1930. Once Cotton arrived at Trenton, he was appalled by the conditions he found and instituted reforms such as eliminating the culture of violence by attendants, removing over 700 pieces of restraining equipment from the hospital, and introducing occupational therapy. Jack El-Hai gives us the next segment of psychiatric surgery in his book The Lobotomist, a biography of the neurologist, turned surgical outlaw, Walter Freeman, MD. Walter Freeman was a neurologist fascinated with science and experimentation. Settling into work at St. Elizabeth's hospital in Washington, DC, in 1924, Freeman eventually joined the faculty of George Washington University where he remained until 1954. At that time neurosyphilis was the scourge of mental hospitals producing thousands of victims who were totally disabled by the neurological sequellae of tertiary illness. Thus lobotomy became an efficient outpatient procedure that could be applied to a larger patient population. Both of these books are important reading. Of all the great medical advances of the last century, surely the one that stands out as perhaps the greatest is the Nuremberg Code of 1947, which requires a competent patient giving informed consent to treatment and to research efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Development of Modern Behavioural Psychology.

Reviews the book, The Development of Modern Behavioural Psychology by John McLeish (1981). The title of McLeish's book contains two terms that may be somewhat misleading. Describing his efforts as encompassing the "Development" of ideas suggests that the approach is historical, while the term "Modern Behavioural Psychology" might be taken to mean almost anything depending upon one's restrictive use of the term. McLeish, as it turns out, attaches a very restrictive meaning to "Behavioural Psychology". There will probably always be argument about what constitutes a proper historical approach but the reviewer doubts that the tact McLeish takes will ever satisfy. In his review of the history of radical behaviourism, McLeish highlights the work of some writers who have not been given a prominent place by other historians, and discusses, or notes only in passing, authors who have ordinarily been considered prominent. As a history, then, McLeish's book is a disappointment and often annoying. Perhaps the best that can be said about this book is that McLeish hints at a form of behavioural theory which would expand the present boundaries of our thinking. In his enthusiastic advocacy of an account that would recognize the historical, social and cultural origins of human behaviour as well as its complexity (including language, thinking and consciousness), McLeish points to the biological rather than the physical (or mathematical) sciences as the source of appropriate models to develop a science of behaviour. In this he is to be congratulated. It is too bad he did not devote the book to a full development of these notions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Annual Review of Psychology Vols. 5 & 6.

Reviews the fifth and sixth volumes of the book "Annual Review of Psychology," edited by Calvin P. Stone, and Quinn McNemar (1954, 1955). Where the topic itself provides the organization, as for instance in the chapters on the special senses, the factual approach works admirably, and the relevance of the data presented is established by a fairly well-articulated context. Looking back over this review it seems that too much time has been spent trying to tell a body of able and energetic psychologists how to do better what they are already doing extremely well. The Annual Review fulfills an indispensable function in the psychological world, and the 1955 volume worthily continues a short but honorable tradition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Introducing Psychology; an Experimental Approach.

Reviews the book, Psychology; an Experimental Approach by D. S. Wright, Ann Taylor, et al. (see record 1970-13650-000). British undergraduate texts in psychology have been generally poor over the years. Recent offerings suggest a change. Among these is Wright and Taylor's 736 paperback "Introducing Psychology; an Experimental Approach". This text covers in a no-nonsense way the traditional material but minus the expense of visual aid and other teaching crutches so typical of North American texts. The approach gives a good dose of structural factors in behavior. There are, for example, chapters on behavior genetics and on the autonomic nervous system. On the whole, the offering represents a refreshing change from the expensive introductory psychology "artwork" that we are accustomed to in Canada. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Dynamic and abnormal psychology.

According to a statement in the author's preface, this book was designed primarily as a textbook for courses in abnormal psychology. It is the reviewer's impression, however, that it is unlikely to win a wide acceptance. His reasons for this judgment include 1) the book has grown from Professor Taylor's own course in the subject and his course seems rather unique, 2) the several chapters do not seem to hang together in a compellingly coherent way, and 3) many of the subjects introduced receive so scanty a discussion as to be unintelligible to the naive reader and simply uninformative to the moderately sophisticated reader. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Mental health law in Canada.

Reviews the book, Mental health law in Canada by Harvey Savage and Carla McKague (1987). Mental health professionals who come into contact with the law in the course of their work generally have an interest in the well-being of the client. However, they often feel dismayed and confused because of their lack of understanding of mental law and the legal system in general. Until recently, mental health professionals in Canada could not turn to a single volume which would help explain mental health law, including their clients' rights. However, Harvey Savage and Carla McKague's book, Mental health law in Canada, will help alleviate some of the concern and confusion Canadian mental health professionals have come to know. Although some authors have written about Canadian mental health law in specific contexts (e.g., criminal responsibility or fitness to stand trial), Savage and McKague's contribution is the only available comprehensive source directed to the law affecting psychiatric patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)