Review of Psychology: Theoretical-historical perspectives, second edition.

Reviews the book, Psychology: Theoretical-historical perspectives, second edition by Robert W. Rieber and Kurt D. Salzinger (see record 1998-06434-000). Like its predecessor, this second edition is a useful volume with a broad scope and any psychologist perusing even a portion of its 500 plus pages will likely come away convinced that there is more to history than a tedious collection of names and dates. As a pedagogical supplement and general introduction to the history of psychology field, this book succeeds admirably. However, in publishing a second edition, Rieber and Salzinger set themselves a more ambitious agenda. One of the goals of the book was to acknowledge the growth and vibrancy of recent scholarship in the history of psychology and to "present some synthesis within the confines of one book." Using these commendable goals as a metric, the book is somewhat disappointing. The book is too much like the first edition in both its choice of questions and authors. This sort of repetition is not a problem in and of itself; however the history of psychology has changed dramatically since the publication of the first edition 18 years ago. There is relatively little in the second edition to indicate that there have been any significant historiographic developments within the history of psychology field since the 1970s. By ignoring these changes, the book left me unable to answer a fundamental question that all second editions must face: Why is a new edition needed? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Theories of Perception and the Concept of Structure.

Reviews the book "Theories of perception and the concept of structure," by Floyd H. Allport (see record 1955-15035-000). This book is in reality two books. The author planned it as one. The first twenty chapters give us a critical survey of many theories of perception while the last chapter presents the author's very original concept of "structure" which may be applied to, but does not necessarily arise out of, discussions of perception. He has certainly done a conscientious job on each of the thirteen major theories-ranging from the Titchenerian core-and-context, to the cybernetics of Wiener and of Pitts and McCulloch, and including such variety as the Gestalt, the Hebb cell-assembly, Helson adaptation level, Brunswik probabilistic, and the Bruner et al, directive-state. To give a touch of concreteness to his highly abstract theory of event structures, Allport suggests a simple mechanical model or analogue, a visualized schema. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Theories of the unconscious and theories of the self.

Reviews the book, Theories of the Unconscious and Theories of the Self by Raphael Stern (see record 1987-97911-000). An edited book always faces a dilemma. Ideally, it approaches a topic from various perspectives, allowing experts in the field to present their views on the topic and providing a context in which the reader can discover the similarities and differences among those experts' views. However, if the topic is not clearly defined, if the experts address a variety of unrelated issues, then the sense of interlocking perspectives and the push towards synthesis collapses. It is a thin line between a collection of papers that revolve meaningfully around an issue, and a conglomeration of chapters. Stern's book balances precariously along this line. It is the outcome of a group of conferences sponsored by the Association for Philosophy of Science, Psychotherapy, and Ethics--an organization of linguists, psychotherapists, philosophers, mathematicians, and neurophysiologists. A diversity of contributors can be an asset: Too many cooks do not necessarily spoil the broth. In the case of Stern's book, the downfall comes from this diverse set of experts addressing, as the title makes evident, a very broad topic. Along the wide vista of the psychoanalytic world, what is not subsumed under the concepts of the unconscious and the self? The book seems to strive for an identity as a psychoanalytic work, or at least attempts to pivot around psychoanalytic themes--but at times even this focus dissolves. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Editorial statement of the American Psychologist: III.

Presents an editorial statement about the publication policies of the American Psychologist (AP). About half the contents of the AP are documents that report on the activities of the Association—the minutes of the Council of Representatives, the address of the immediate Past President, and those reports of the Association boards and committees of concern to a large percentage of the membership. The remaining pieces are articles that the editorial board and the ad hoc reviewers judge to be of sufficient interest and consequence to appeal to the large and heterogeneous readership of the AP. These articles should explicitly address the broadest scientific and practical implications of the topic under consideration. In addition, a new series, tentatively called "Science Watch," will appear in the AP on an irregular basis. The purpose will be to cover articles that broaden our understanding of the discipline, that enable us to understand the connections between our discipline and others, and that help us glimpse the directions in which our science is moving. (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 Contemporary theories of learning.

The authors indicate that "It is the purpose of this textbook for university and college students to explain the most important theories of learning in the clearest and simplest possible language, to show the relevance of each of them to the educational process, and to point out that in spite of the many conflicts between these theories they have a common ground upon which can be based an intelligible pattern of classroom procedure". Each aspect of this purpose is in itself a large and important undertaking that makes quite different demands upon the authors and requires different evaluation criteria. Two responsibilities are assumed in accomplishing the first part of their purpose: (a) to indicate their criteria for selecting material from a theory, and (&) to explain each theory accurately. As the chapters are written the student is likely to infer that the volume presents unabridged theories of seven men (Thorndike, Guthrie, Hull, Skinner, Wheeler, Tolman and Dewey) and two positions- Functionalism and Gestalt. Since no selection criteria were indicated, the authors are open to the criticism that they have promised more than they have delivered. Also, Thorpe and Schmuller have not always been accurate. A fundamental difficulty is inherent in the approach taken by the authors to accomplish their second purpose. At the present time it is not possible to apply entire systems of learning to problems because they are not highly developed, logically integrated sets of axioms and postulates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Dictionary of analytical psychology.

Reviews the book, Dictionary of analytical psychology by C. G. Jung (1987). It is unusual for an author to publish a dictionary based entirely upon the concepts in his or her own work, but that's precisely what this volume is. Given the title, there is an uncomfortable structure to the volume because the first half is a prose introduction to the "extroverted" and "introverted" types, with a detailed account of the thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting characteristics of these two personalities, while only the second half is in a traditional dictionary form. It is this moiety that catches the reader's interest and makes this publication particularly valuable. Central Jungian terms are described, with definitions averaging about a page in length each, long enough to provide some substantial information about each concept. Reading through the dictionary is a sentimental experience, revealing how much the philosophical tradition mastered by Jung has now been lost in developmental and psychoanalytic thought. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of what Jung really said.

Reviews the book, What Jung Really Said by E. A. Bennet (see record 1971-08465-000). An exposition of Carl Gustav Jung's theories, the volume also contains a brief summary of Jung's career and a discussion of his influences. An index and notes are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Heinz Kohut: The making of a psychoanalyst.

Reviews the book, Heinz Kohut: The making of a psychoanalyst by Charles B. Strozier (see record 2001-00786-000). Strozier engages in a roller-coaster approach to the telling of Kohut's life. Just when you are feeling sorry for him because of what he had to endure, you are yanked back into idealizing him again. This book is mostly quite readable but bogs down when Strozier attempts to educate the reader about Kohut's theories. As the only record we have of Kohut's life, Strozier's book is invaluable and will be of interest to anyone concerned with psychoanalysis. But I hope that somewhere down the line there will be another biography that is not so intent on de-idealizing him and will provide a more integrated and insightful tale of this very complicated and compelling man. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Pain: psychological perspectives.

Reviews the book, Pain: psychological perspectives edited by S. Rachman and Jack D. Maser (see record 1988-97293-000). The success of this book lies in its focus on the symptom of panic rather than on the diagnosis of panic disorder. The three main psychological theories discussed in the book are: (a) Clark's cognitive theory of panic, which postulates that panic attacks result from the catastrophic misinterpretations of bodily sensations; (b) van den Hout's Pavlovian theory of panic, which postulates that bodily sensations such as heart palpitations become conditioned stimuli for panic attacks through the temporal contiguity of these stimuli with the first spontaneous panic attack; and (c) Lang's information processing theory, which Lang discusses in relation to phobias but, unfortunately, not to any appreciable extent in relation to panic. Each theory is clearly presented in one of three chapters, each of which is written by the originator of the theory. I hope that this book will get a wide readership. It would act as a stimulant in senior undergraduate and graduate courses. I hope also that it will convince psychopathologists of the value of the symptom-approach in research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Hypnotism: an objective study in suggestibility.

Reviews the book, Hypnotism: an objective study in suggestibility, by A. M. Weitzenhofer (see record 1954-05565-000). It has been said that there is a resurgence of interest in hypnosis with a periodicity of about 30 years. This book among many others is partly the result of the present climb toward the crest of the wave. After reviewing the experimental literature Weitzenhofer surveys critically the theories of hypnosis. He rejects all of these theories either in whole or part because of inadequacies and then formulates one of his own. To the reviewer none of these theories, including that of the author, is very enlightening. They all lack predictive power, which in the reviewer's opinion is one of the principal functions of a scientific theory. The reviewer believes, though, that this book will be profitable reading for all who have even the slightest scientific interest in hypnosis, and for others it may generate interest if they can but find time to study it. (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 Empirical studies of psychoanalytical theories.

Reviews the book, Empirical studies of psychoanalytical theories, volume 1 by Joseph Masling (1983). Many psychoanalytic clinicians are comfortable functioning in the clinical world, using experience-near data. Many others are comfortable in the metapsychological world, using more experience-distant concepts. Some are even able to apply theory to practice, and modify one based on their experience of the other. But the bridge between the two, the middle-level described by Mayman, which represents the empirical joining of the theoretical and clinical, operationalized in the form of research which can inform either the clinical or the theoretical, is an area of lessened comfort for many. It is to this middle-level that Masling's book addresses itself, presenting examples of a wide variety of psychoanalytic research projects. Some are studies of psychoanalytic theory and others of psychoanalytic therapy; some are more empirical and others are more theoretical, some are original and others are reviews of already published material; but all provide an empirical grounding for practice. Stricker reviews the major findings and contributions of each of the seven chapters, and concludes with some general comments about psychoanalytic research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introducing the book review section of School Psychology Quarterly.

As Section Editor, it is my pleasure to provide readers of School Psychology Quarterly with excellent reviews of two books that offer complementary but different perspectives in the broad area of developmental psychology as it relates to research and practice in School Psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social environment and reproduction in female European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus): Benefits of the presence of litter sisters.

The authors investigated in an observational study the consequences of the presence of litter sisters on the social interactions and on reproductive performance of young female European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from a population living under seminatural conditions. In early winter, when all young females were settled in a social group, they were characterized by the presence or absence of litter sisters in their groups. Females with litter sisters in their groups displayed significantly more positive social interaction with females of their social group compared to females without sisters, whereas this difference was mainly due to the high frequency of positive social interactions among the respective sisters. Such differences between the females of both categories were already apparent during the animals' juvenile phase, before the females integrated into a particular group: females which later had litter sisters in their group showed more positive social behavior than females which later no longer had litter sisters. During their first breeding season, females with litter sisters present generally started to breed earlier by an average of 14 days. A more favorable social environment might have possibly facilitated the earlier onset of breeding in females with present litter sisters by attenuating the negative consequences of stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism.

Reviews the book, Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism edited by Howard T. Blane and Kenneth E. Leonard (1987). This volume presents different psychological elements in alcoholism and theories underlining a variety of sources of the motivation to drink. The volume is thus a sign of the maturing of psychology's view of alcoholism and of the creation of real bodies of data and a firm foundation for understanding alcoholism from a psychological perspective. The editors, Blane and Leonard, arrange nine bodies of psychological theory and research about drinking and alcoholism into two sections: Traditional Approaches and Recent Theoretical Models. The chapters do not deal with equivalent kinds of theories; the theories differ not only in their scope but in their level of analysis. Nonetheless, given the differences in the material and the amount to be reviewed, the volume accomplishes very well what it sets out to do. The presentations are inclusive and generally well written. They organize largely distinct areas of psychological knowledge into accessible chapters. The contributors give attention not only to theory and data but also to clinical applications of the theories. In nearly all cases, the chapters serve as perhaps the best available surveys of the topics, making this an invaluable teaching tool and reference book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Neural integration of physiological mechanisms and behavior: J. A. F. Stevenson memorial volume.

Reviews the book, Neural Integration of Physiological Mechanisms and Behavior: J. A. F. Stevenson Memorial Volume edited by J. Gordon Mogenson and Franco R. Calaresu (1975). This book consists of a series of articles dedicated to the memory of Professor James A. F. Stevenson and to his view that an understanding of physiological regulations must be sought within the context of the overall functioning of the whole organism. How Stevenson came to develop this approach to the study of physiological mechanisms, and his contributions to science, both inside and outside the laboratory, are the subjects of the first two introductory essays written by F. C. Macintosh and J. R. Brobeck. In the third introductory essay, E. F. Adolph provides a brief historical account of how the concept of internal regulation of physiological activities arose, and stresses the importance of considering the regulatory actions of organisms in all physiological and behavioral studies. The reviewer would recommend the addition of this book to your library. The articles are of excellent calibre, and it is probably a matter of personal interest as to which ones the reader will consider the most useful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)