Gustav Theodor Fechner: Life and work in the mirror of his diary.

The diaries of Gustav Fechner reveal much about his motivations to develop the field of psychophysics, as well as some of the steps toward its formulation. Together with his publications on various subjects, the diaries show how psychophysics fits into Fechner's broader scientific program, illuminate his worldview, and reveal his hopes for acceptance of his work by his colleagues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Todd R. Risley (1937-2007).

This obituary of Todd R. Risley explains his life in Alaska and his lifelong journey to eventually becoming a pioneer of applied behavior analysis. He was born in Alaska on September 8, 1937, and died in his home there on November 2, 2007, after returning from Minnesota for heart surgery. He credited some of his vigor and appreciation for the importance of change to his early days in the rugged territory of Alaska, where his father was a homesteader and railroad worker. Todd received his bachelor's degree from San Diego State College and his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington. Todd applied the principles of behavior analysis to a variety of populations and settings. Todd felt that his most important work was his and Betty Hart's study of the language use of middle-class and low socioeconomic status (SES) families. He argued that the single most important parenting practice was for parents to talk as much as possible to their children about anything and everything and to require as much language use as possible back from them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The peregrinations of an applied generalist in government, industry, a university psychology department, and a business school.

The career of an applied psychologist, in measurement, industrial/organizational psychology, consumer behavior, and evaluation research, is chronicled from his undergraduate education through his position as a business school professor. This biographical odyssey compares a variety of employment settings; traces the major influences on his career; provides a commentary on applications, research, and scholarship in a business school setting vs a psychology department; and offers a synopsis of his interests and activities as he moves into his status as an emeritus professor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

William James and the art of human understanding.

Proposes (1) that William James (1842–1910), one of the founders of philosophical pragmatism as well as psychological science, developed a distinctive theory of human understanding, according to which all knowledge, including scientific knowledge, is ultimately based on "the finding of analogy"; (2) that this theory of human understanding underlay both his psychological and philosophical thought; and (3) that this theory depended on his artistic sensibility and experience. James's native artistic ability and interests are discussed, and his period as an artist's apprentice in the early 1860s is depicted as particularly salient to the development of his system of thought. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nicholas Hobbs: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service 1980.

Presents a citation and biography on Nicholas Hobbs on the occasion of his receiving the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service in 1980 from the American Psychological Association. Dr. Hobbs is recognized for his contributions to the residential treatment of emotionally disturbed children, his work with the Peace Corps, his service to Vanderbilt University and the government in many capacities as well as president of the American Psychological Association. A bibliography of his research is also provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship of worker productivity to cognitive dissonance about wage inequities.

2 hypotheses derived from dissonance theory were tested: (a) when a person is paid by the hour his productivity will be greater when he perceives his pay as inequitably large than when identical pay is perceived as equitable, and (b) when a person is paid on a piecework basis his productivity will be less when he perceives his pay in inequitably large than when he perceives identical pay as being equitable. The first hypothesis was sustained (p     

The effects of patients' relationships with peers and staff on their psychiatric treatment.

"The major findings of this research is that a patient's relationship with his peers and his physician relate to the type of treatment program he receives as well or better than indices of his social class or his psychiatric diagnosis or prognosis." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reginald L. Jones (1931-2005).

Reginald Lanier Jones (1931-2005), known as "Reg" or "Reggie" to many, was a tireless worker for social justice and equity within psychology and education. His career focused on children with special needs, the gifted, and especially the psychological experiences of the African American community. Many generations of Black psychologists owe their career success to his unswerving dedication, his insights as an elder, his acumen as a publisher, and his genuineness as a mentor and friend. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Premature conclusions regarding Black and White suicide attempters: A reply to Steele.

The conclusion reached by R. E. Steele (see record 1978-27665-001) that his samples of Black and White suicide attempters were clinically similar is questioned, as is his inference that his results require a reexamination of the supposed need for separate Black and White psychologies. Specific criticisms are raised regarding some of the variables chosen by Steele for his comparisons, and the manner in which he chose to interpret his data. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituary: Erich Fromm (1900-1980).

Obituary [Erich Fromm; 1900-1980]. Trained as a psychoanalyst, Fromm emerged, on the basis of his own erudition, as a social critic and moral philosopher of considerable reknown. In a very real sense he applied his gifts as a clinician to diagnoses of the ills of society and of social institutions. His well-known books such as Escape From Freedom, The Sane Society, and The Art of Loving attest not only to his original social insights but also to his ability to communicate his ideas simply and directly to a wide audience. Although Fromm was regarded as a popular writer by academics and as a social psychologist by psychoanalysts (a condescending term in their lexicon), his contributions to social science and to therapeutic practice were considerable. Much of contemporary social criticism follows a model that Fromm laid down. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment of "adolescent rebellion" by the reconstrual of stimuli.

Presents the thesis that a viable therapeutic procedure might involve discussion and behavior assignments designed to alter the extent to which a client feels he controls his environment. A case study is presented in which an adolescent was encouraged to construe his obedient behavior as an active and successful attempt on his part to control the behavior of his parents, rather than as a meek submission to their demands. Behavior assignments demonstrated that behavior which was in accord with his parents' requests did exert control over their privilege-granting behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Topical reversion at the HIS1 locus of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A tale of three mutants

Mutants of the HIS1 locus of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are suitable reporters for spontaneous reversion events because most reversions are topical, that is, within the locus itself. Thirteen mutations of his1-1 now have been identified with respect to base sequence. Revertants of three mutants and their spontaneous reversion rates are presented: (1) a chain termination mutation (his1-208, née his1-1) that does not revert by mutations of tRNA loci and reverts only by intracodonic suppression; (2) a missense mutation (his1-798, née his1-7) that can revert by intragenic suppression by base substitutions of any sort, including a back mutation as well as one three-base deletion; and (3) a -1 frameshift mutation (his1-434, née his1-19) that only reverts topically by +1 back mutation, +1 intragenic suppression, or a -2 deletion. Often the +1 insertion is accompanied by base substitution events at one or both ends of a run of A's. Missense suppressors of his1-798 are either feeders or nonfeeders, and at four different locations within the locus, a single base substitution encoding an amino acid alteration will suffice to turn the nonfeeder phenotype into a feeder phenotype. Late-appearing revertants of his1-798 were found to be slowly growing leaky mutants rather than a manifestation of adaptive mutagenesis. Spontaneous revertants of his1-208 and his1-434 produced no late-arising colonies.     

Douglas N. Jackson (1929-2004).

Obituary for Douglas Northrop Jackson (1929-2004) giving an overview of his life as well as acknowledging his contributions to the field of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

B. F. Skinner (1904–1990): Obituary.

Marks the death of B. F. Skinner (1904–1990). Eight days before his death on August 18, 1990, Skinner received the American Psychological Association's Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology. His contribution was his demonstration that behavior could be studied as self-sufficient rather than as a reflection of inner mental events. The goal of Skinner's science was the control, prediction, and interpretation of behavior. While his work carried profound implications for the psychology of the 1940s, few adopted his approach until the early 1950s. His work on verbal behavior (1957) has only recently stimulated any serious research or application. Skinner always viewed his own work as the product of environmental contingencies, and not the result of a creative mind. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theodore R. Sarbin (1911-2005).

Obituary [Theodore R. Sarbin; 1911-2005]. Theodore R. Sarbin died in his 95th year, fully engaged in his life as a psychologist until the end. Sarbin was born on May 8, 1911, in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Ohio State University as an undergraduate, earning his bachelor's degree there in 1936. The next year he earned his master's degree from Western Reserve University. He received his doctoral degree in psychology from Ohio State University in 1941. Sarbin began his career as a research-oriented clinical psychologist, practicing first in Illinois and later in Los Angeles. His academic career was established at the University of California, Berkeley, where he served on the faculty from 1949 to 1969. Sarbin left Berkeley to join the faculty of the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1969. He continued there until his retirement in 1976. While gentle and controlled in manner, Sarbin made it his professional life work to challenge orthodox views in psychology. Sarbin described his own professional posture as "oppositional and nonconforming." In the course of his academic career, Sarbin received scores of honors. Included among his more than 250 professional publications are 6 books and another 6 edited volumes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dael Wolfle (1906-2002).

Obituary of Dael Wolfle (1906-2002). In the early part of his career, he contributed to mainstream experimental psychology in the learning tradition of his time. Wolfle then spent the middle years of his career as a science administrator, both in psychology and in the larger scientific community. At the end of his career, he returned to academia, where he fostered a sense of public service as a professor of public administration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How does the mind work? Memorial address in honor of Jerzy Konorski.

Discusses the career of Jerzy Konorski and ways in which his work was continually and consistently directed toward an examination of how the mind operates. Konorski's early training as a physician, his work in Pavlov's laboratory, his interest in the work of Charles Sherrington, and his experience as director of the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology in Warsaw are examined. In the beginning, Konorski was a behaviorist, but later he showed an unabashed interest in "mental life." Eventually his work became known in the US; he made several visits here and even received grants from the National Institutes of Health. Emphasis is placed on how the work of Konorski and his "school" interdigitates with learning theory and research in this and certain other Western countries. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Edward Shoben, Jr.: Overlooked pioneer of psychotherapy integration.

In 1949, a year before Dollard and Miller (1950) published their milestone of psychotherapy integration, Edward Shoben, Jr., published a lesser-known, but no less groundbreaking, learning theory analysis of the psychotherapy process (see record 1950-01904-001). By doing so, he challenged the therapists of his day to reconsider the mutative factors in psychotherapy. He was largely ignored by practitioners but was influential in the development of behavior therapy. By bridging the substantial gap separating the academic learning theorists and predominantly psychoanalytic practitioners of his day and seeking out common mutative factors, Shoben was a true pioneer of psychotherapy integration. This article explores his contribution with particular emphasis on the importance of his ideas and their influence on current practices. In addition, criticisms of his approach as well as theoretical and political factors that may have contributed to his relative obscurity are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dale Francis Lott (1933-2004).

Obituary for Dale Francis Lott (1933-2004). An overview of his life as well as his contributions to the field of Psychology are included. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

G. Stanley Hall and the history of psychology.

G. Stanley Hall is widely recognized as a major organizer and promoter of modern psychology in North America. However, it is less well-known that he also made significant contributions to the study of psychology's history through his teaching and research in this area. This article reviews some of the formative influences in Hall's life that led to his interest in historical topics, and also discusses his own work on the history of psychology as it appears in his extensive publication record. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)