Review of The handbook of humanistic psychology: Leading edges in theory, research, and practice.

Reviews the book, The handbook of humanistic psychology: Leading edges in theory, research, and practice by Kirk J. Schneider, James F. T. Bugental, and J. Fraser Pierson (see record 2001-01409-000). Over 30 years ago Abraham Maslow (1971) envisioned a 3rd force psychology that would bring about “a change of basic thinking along the total front of man’s endeavors, a potential change in every social institution, in every one of the ‘fields’ of intellectual endeavor, and in every one of the professions.” Schneider, Bugental, and Pierson must have been guided by a similar vision as they edited the Handbook of humanistic psychology: Leading edges in theory, research, and practice. The breadth of the handbook is impressive with chapters addressing everything from psychotherapy, pedagogy, medicine, and spirituality to ecology, literature, social action and the workplace. The editors have successfully recruited authors from a variety of disciplines—including psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, education, and politics—who are well respected both inside and outside humanistic circles and who are exceptionally qualified to address their topics. Fortunately, despite this far-reaching breadth, the editors have not spread the handbook too thin. In fact, in areas where it seems especially needed (e.g., methodology) there is a much welcome depth and detail that is far from typical of other handbooks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Bilingualism, multiculturalism, and second language learning: The McGill conference in honour of Wallace E. Lambert.

Reviews the book, Bilingualism, multiculturalism, and second language learning: The McGill conference in honour of Wallace E. Lambert edited by Allan G. Reynolds (see record 1991-97762-000). Wallace Lambert has been a major figure in Canadian psychology since the mid-1950s. In a publishing career that has spanned almost 40 years, his work has influenced almost every aspect of the psychology of language, in particular the psychology of bilingualism and second language acquisition. This volume offers a fascinating and highly readable retrospect and update on the research and theoretical work of Lambert and his doctoral students, most of whom have also become leaders in their respective fields of psychological inquiry. This is a truly remarkable book. Unlike many edited volumes, all the chapters relate together coherently, and collectively they present a vivid picture of the evolution and current status of the mainstream of Canadian psychological research on bilingualism and cultural diversity. It would make an excellent graduate text in the area of social psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Compte rendu dLa construction du réel chez le psychologue: épistémologie et méthodes en sciences humaines.

Reviews the book, La construction du réel chez le psychologue: épistémologie et méthodes en sciences humaines by Christiane Gillieron (1985). This work of 280 pages is an introductory text including information on epistemology and concepts of the scientific method in psychology and social sciences in general. Its framework of reference is explicitly the genetic epistemology of Piaget, which is found in all its aspects of the strong use of examples resulting from psychology and intelligence and it has a tendency to elaborate on the cognitive aspects of the scientific method. The work is divided in nine chapters gathered in three parts. The three chapters of the first part carry on the postulates and principles of the scientific method. The second part of four chapters examines the technical aspects of research. The last part contains a chapter on the psychology of the experimental situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The International Handbook of Creativity.

Reviews the book, The International Handbook of Creativity by James Kaufman and Robert Sternberg (Eds) (see record 2006-05841-000). The International Handbook of Creativity, edited by James Kaufman and Robert Sternberg, provides global perspectives on conceptions of creativity. An edited volume with 35 international contributing authors of 17 chapters, this handbook achieves the goal stated on its back cover of "present[ing] a truly international and diverse set of perspectives on the psychology of human creativity." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Anticipating Trends: Comments on Piagetian Research: A Handbook of Recent Studies by Sohan Modgil.

Reviews the book, Anticipating Trends: Comments on Piagetian Research: A Handbook of Recent Studies by Sohan Modgil (1974). Modgil's book "Piagetian Research" reflects the enormous extent to which American psychology has progressively been influenced by Piagetian theory, as recently as the last ten years. Piagetian concepts have manifested themselves in education (curriculum planning), psychopathology, child rearing practices, philosophy and test construction. Modgil aimed his book at the Piagetian researcher who already has a thorough knowledge of Piaget's theories and of Piaget's importance. It is intended to act as a sort of psychological abstracts of Piagetian research, covering original research between 1965 and December 1972 (there are also some references to research appearing as late as August 1973). As such it is an invaluable reference book. The 12 chapters of the book cover work either in the area of cognitive development or work directly related to Piaget's theory (e.g. chapter 11: Personality, socialization and emotionality related to Piaget's theory). Modgil gives a skimpy review of the range of recent studies at the beginning of each chapter. The bibliography alone (over 1500 references) makes the book a valuable source of information (65% of the references date from 1965 on). The book would appear to be highly useful to the Piagetian researcher who wants to get a quick idea of the relevant literature in his particular area or of related areas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The transformation of psychology: Influences of 19th-century philosophy, technology, and natural science.

Reviews the book, The transformation of psychology: Influences of 19th-century philosophy, technology, and natural science edited by Christopher D. Green, Marlene Shore, and Thomas Teo (see record 2001-01476-000). In the following review, I have found it convenient to divide the 11 chapters of this volume into three groups, one devoted to the philosophy of psychological science, one devoted to theoretical and biological psychology, and one devoted to applied psychology. The first of these groups contains chapters by Andrew S. Winston on Ernst Mach, by Charles W. Tolman on G. W. F. Hegel, and by Thomas Teo on Karl Marx and Wilhelm Dilthey. The second grouping of chapters is concerned with theoretical/biological psychology and includes five contributions. The final group of chapters concerns applied psychology. What I liked most about this book was the genuinely innovative character of every chapter; there is no "old hat" stuff anywhere. The editors and contributors are to be congratulated on a fine and timely work of scholarship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Memory, consciousness, and the brain: The Tallinn conference; and The Oxford handbook of memory.

Reviews the books, Memory, consciousness, and the brain: The Tallinn conference edited by Endel Tulving (see record 2000-07362-000) and The Oxford handbook of memory edited by Endel Tulving and Fergus M. Craik (see record 2000-00111-000). Memory, consciousness, and the brain (MCB) is an outgrowth of a conference organized by the editor and his wife, and held in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The organization of the book, accurately described by the editor as "largely illusory" (p. xv), blocks the 25 topic chapters into sections labeled Memory (11 chapters), Consciousness (7 chapters), and The Brain (7 chapters). The editor's hope is that the book will be useful as an introduction to representative research currently being conducted at the boundaries of memory, consciousness, and the brain. To what extent has this objective been achieved? The book certainly serves up a broad menu of topics. The reader looking for something intriguing in the way of research on memory and consciousness in the brain is likely to find it in this volume. What are MCB's weaknesses? The main sin is something that comes with the territory of all conference volumes: uneveness in quality, readability, and organizations, and uncertainty about the audience to be reached by each of the chapters. Regarding The Oxford handbook of memory (OHM), this book describes the growth of memory research from its nadir in the 1950s to the present, and presents summaries of contemporary scientific knowledge about a variety of memory topics. The focus is human memory (although the discussion of brain-memory relations is sometimes based on research with nonhuman primates) as studied from the perspectives of experimental cognitive psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, neuroscience, developmental psychology, theory and modeling, and the ecology of memory. Within this compass, the editors have attempted to ensure coverage of the current major theories, findings, and methods of memory. In the editors' words, the volume is intended to be "a major reference source for people who want to get started in the field, or who wish to check things outside their own regional area" (p. vii). Not only does the book hit its target, we expect that even specialists will benefit from the coverage of subjects in which they have expertise. For now, the OHM is the gold standard and all memory professionals are in the debt of the editors and authors for its existence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Cambridge handbook of creativity.

Reviews the book, The Cambridge handbook of creativity edited by James C. Kaufman and Robert J. Sternberg (see record 2010-21837-000). Over a decade has passed since Sternberg edited the Handbook of Creativity for Cambridge University Press. In the intervening years, Kaufman and Sternberg tell us that more than 10,000 publications have been devoted to the topic of creativity. Creativity has become a valued resource. And yet, as Kaufman and Sternberg point out in this volume, even after six decades of research, definitions of creativity remain elusive. Creativity research continues to be the subject of much debate. Still, the chapters in this volume demonstrate that progress is being made with an increasing convergence of components, contexts, and complexity. The handbook is informative for students and newcomers to the field, as well as for those looking for up-to-date reviews of major theories and applications of creativity research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Effective writing in psychology: Papers, posters, and presentations.

Reviews the book, Effective writing in psychology: Papers, posters, and presentations, by Bernard C. Beins and Agatha M. Beins (see record 2007-09162-000). This book aims to present its readers with clear guidelines for effective communication in the psychological sciences. The authors focus primarily on written communication in the form of research papers, but also present chapters on poster and oral presentations, Internet publishing, and the preparation of ethics proposals. Beins and Beins provide comprehensive coverage of the scientific writing process, from the generation of research topics to the presentation of ideas and findings via clear, logical, and persuasive writing. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of this book is that it practises what it preaches: It is well organised, informative, and most of all, it succeeds in engaging the reader with its presentation of technical information. Ample use of quotations, anecdotes, jokes, and examples from published research serves to both maintain the reader’s interest in the material and to highlight a key message of the book—that scientific writing need not be dreary. In all, Beins and Beins provide an appropriate balance in their guidance for one’s development of a stimulating and purposeful communication style and the specific formatting requirements necessary to implement it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The value of psychological treatment: The collected papers of Nicholas A. Cummings, Vol. 1; Focused psychotherapy: A casebook of brief, intermittent psychotherapy throughout the lifecycle; and The practice of psychology: The battle for professionalism..

Reviews the books, The value of psychological treatment: The collected papers of Nicholas A. Cummings, Vol. 1 edited by J. Lawrence Thomas and Janet L. Cummings (see record 2000-08331-000); Focused psychotherapy: A casebook of brief, intermittent psychotherapy throughout the life cycle by Nicholas A. Cummings and Mike Sayama (see record 1995-98522-000); and The practice of psychology: The battle for professionalism edited by Rogers H. Wright and Nicholas A. Cummings (2001). While Cummings has published numerous volumes and dozens of articles and chapters, the three books under review here offer a good introduction to some of his many activities and contributions. The first book provides a very nice sampling of research and position papers. Several chapters describe aspects of the “medical utilization offset phenomenon,” the oft-replicated finding that psychological services can reduce overall healthcare costs, perhaps partly by eliminating unnecessary medical visits. The second book is a clinician’s book illustrating the central tenet of Cummings’s “Patient’s Bill of Rights”—that “the patient is entitled to relief from pain, anxiety, and depression in the shortest time possible and with the least intrusive intervention.” In the last book, names are named and many details are given about numerous battles between 1955 and 1995 involving issues such as dissatisfaction with the Boulder (scientist–practitioner) Model. The reviewer concludes that reading Cummings' work elucidates the fact that the struggles of the psychology profession appear far from over. These books can help us prepare for where we need to go in the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologie sociale des médias.

Reviews the book, Psychologie sociale des medias edited by Pascal Marchand (2004). This work consists of two parts, each one having distinct characteristics. The first part presents a summary of traditional and recent research in psychology, which is devoted to various questions concerning the influence of the media. Specifically it covers effects of the television and the representations of violence and sexuality. This part will be of most interest to those concerned with social psychology or of psychology of the media. The second part has as a discussion thread a socio-cognitive orientation and comprises seven chapters which treat more precise questions relating to the psychological aspects of the media and their influence. The various chapters present either mainly theoretical contents, focusing on speech and rhetoric, but in some chapters there is a combination of theoretical discussions and empirical data. The second part is specialized, but also, more "European" in regards to its content. The two parts of the work are distinct. While the first part relates to mainly the effects of the entertainment and the accounts, the second part relates almost exclusively to the media of information, journalism and the great stakes related on the communication and persuasion in the political life and publicity. Although the two parts of the work are different in structure and their content, they adopt both a socio-cognitive prospect essential for theory and research in psychology for the media. Overall, this work is an interesting addition to the fields of social psychology and social cognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of social psychology.

Reviews the book, Handbook of social psychology edited by Gardner Lindzey (1954). The reviewer notes that the publication of this two-volume Handbook is a truly signal event in social psychology. The text is comprehensive, up to date, balanced. It gives extensive treatment to theory, to methodology, and to research findings and applications. It is sophisticated in its approach and makes no concession to oversimplified presentation, either in content or in style. The reviewer also reports that the editor has demonstrated a high order of intelligence and judgment in the selection and organization of the various chapters. No main area of social psychology is neglected. As contrasted with the more typical compendiums of material in a large field, this book succeeds remarkably in avoiding unnecessary redundancy. The choice of authors in this text is also excellent. Some of the authors have taken this as an occasion for creating something beyond simply a critical review of an area of social psychology; parts of some of the chapters are original contributions to the theory and method of social psychology. Overall, this Handbook offers convincing evidence that social psychology is indeed a field in its own right, continually growing in the extent to which its methods and findings bear intimate relationship with other areas of psychology, and at the same time contributing a steady stream of methods and data which are uniquely to be found in connection with social behavior of individuals and groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The psychology of humor: An integrative approach.

Reviews the book, The psychology of humor: An integrative approach by Rod A. Martin (see record 2006-21361-000). This book is not a particularly funny read--though it has its moments--but it is a very well-written, well-organized, comprehensive reference guide to the psychology of humor. The Introductory chapter provides a nice overview of the rest of the book. Here Martin defines what is meant by the broad term humor, discusses the many forms and functions of humor, and provides a concise, informative history of thinking about humor. Martin then includes two chapters that address five theoretical approaches: psychoanalytic, superiority/disparagement, arousal, incongruity, and reversal theory. The second part of the book is organized into different psychological subtopics, which makes it very easy to navigate. This part includes sections on the cognitive, social, psychobiological, personality, and developmental approaches to the study of humor. The book concludes with chapters on the link between humor and both mental and physical health, and presents research on the application of humor in psychotherapy, education, and the workplace. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of social psychology.

Reviews the book "Handbook of social psychology" (Volumes I and II), edited by G. Lindzey (see record 1955-03817-000). This book is a major attempt to present, summarized in handbook fashion, what is known theoretically, methodologically, and substantively in the area of social psychology. The various chapters include contributions by psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and statisticians. Most of the chapters are written carefully and thoughtfully. It is a good and worth-while book to have in print. Many students and research workers will have occasion to refer to it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of What intelligence tests miss: The psychology of rational thought.

Reviews the book, What intelligence tests miss: The psychology of rational thought by Keith E. Stanovich (see record 2008-06992-000). Speed of processing seems to reign in the world of the mind. Although a person’s speed of processing may in part dictate who amongst us performs well on intelligence tests, this speed may not necessarily guarantee good decisions, personal contentment, and the meeting of goals in real life. Stanovich’s book is a scholarly, yet captivating, survey of research on rational thought and action, and what it means to be a truly industrious thinker. The book is divided into 13 chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 attempt to persuade the reader that measured intelligence is different from rationality—measured intelligence is essentially about raw speed of processing while rationality is about sophisticated problem solving. Chapter 3 elucidates the theoretical models, including the reflective, algorithmic, and autonomous minds, which help account for the distinction between measured intelligence and rationality. Chapters 4 and 5 flesh out the differences between intelligence and rationality. Chapters 6 through 9 expose the strategies the cognitive miser (a metaphor to guide and describe key ideas about human thinking) employs to cut corners in thinking. Chapters 10 and 11 focus on both the positive thinking strategies that should be taught in school and the contaminated forms of thinking that impede us from weighing and sifting through the information we encounter in the world and then evaluating it effectively. Chapters 12 and 13 provide a useful review of the forms of thinking that lead to irrational beliefs and actions, and conclude with the social benefits of better thinking. (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 Handbook of Moral Development.

Reviews the book, Handbook of Moral Development edited by Melanie Killen and Judith G. Smetana (see record 2005-11748-000). This is a big book on a big topic. Editors Melanie Killen and Judith Smetana have solicited 26 chapters on the topic of moral development, including many of the key authors and researchers currently working in the field. While the editors themselves share the perspective of "social domain" theory, the breadth of the current volume is much wider. Indeed it provides a representative overview of work ranging across the entire landscape of moral development research today. The 26 chapters are organized into six sections: structuralism and moral stages, social domain theory, conscience development and internalization, social interactional and comparative approaches, emotions and empathy, and moral education. In general, each chapter reviews recent work on a particular topic within these six areas, provides a theoretical context and overview of the research and typically discusses the author(s)' own research program in detail. Many of the chapters also consider, if only briefly, ideas and prospects for future research as well. The chapters are thus up-to-date, generally well-written, and approachable for advanced students and scholars within the field. This is as good an overview as we are likely to get from our current vantage point. It can be highly recommended for advanced-level students and scholars in the field alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)