Howard E. Gruber (1922-2005).

This article presents an obituary for Howard E. Gruber. Howard Ernest (Howie) Gruber, who died on January 25, 2005, in New York City, was a wide-ranging cognitive psychologist. Although born in the United States, he was deeply influenced by European currents of thought: Indeed, his work blended the theoretical ambition of the most influential European psychologists with the experimental ingenuity and scrupulous attention to data that have distinguished American psychology at its best. Gruber was among the most important scholars of human creativity in recent decades; his pioneering study of the notebooks of Charles Darwin was catalytic in reorienting an entire area of research. In addition to his important scholarship, Gruber believed fervently in the responsibility of scholars to address social and political issues, and he devoted much of his later life to those contemporary issues that he considered paramount. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Timothy C. Brock (1935–2009).

This obituary describes the life achievements of social psychologist, Timothy C. Brock, founder and guiding force of Ohio State University's acclaimed social psychology doctoral program in social psychology. He was born in 1935 and died at his home in Upper Arlington, Ohio, on December 20, 2009. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ronald O. Lippitt (1914–1986).

Ronald O. Lippitt, born March 21, 1914, was dedicated to the social uses of social science. He died on October 28, 1986. His legacy to social science consists of his early classic research on leadership styles in small groups, a study still cited regularly in social science texts; his book on planned change, which was widely used for many years; and other, lesser known work published in hundreds of articles, chapters, and books. All of this work had the same aim as his first study--to better human life through social science. Perhaps Ron's greatest contribution is the example he set by his steadfast dedication to making social science useful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Twenty-five year later: Retrospective comments by members of the original Harvard Commission.

This article offers a collection of retrospective comments by members of the original Harvard Commission. Each member provides his own comment and discusses his experiences in life and work. Comments are provided by: Detlev W. Bronk, Leonard Carmichael, John Dollard, Ernest R. Hilgard and John C. Whitehorn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

John L. Horn (1928-2006).

John Leonard Horn was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, on September 7, 1928, and he died in Los Angeles, California, on August 18, 2006. John Horn was a world-renowned scholar of immense intellect, and he was highly respected in his time. I believe his major contributions to psychology, as well as his influence on psychologists, will continue to grow. His challenging factor-analytic methods of the 1960s, the important methodological debates of the 1970s and 1980s, and his continuing resistance to faddish trends in psychological research all represent fundamental contributions. Through his research and teaching he forced people to question popular assumptions and to evaluate all the data available. He challenged us to think longer, harder, and better. His work will continue to inspire important research in the fields of multivariate analysis and human cognitive abilities for many decades to come. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"To be a big shot or to be shot": Zing-Yang Kuo's other career.

The radical behaviorist Zing-Yang Kuo's other career reveals a figure who moved in the circles of senior university administrators and significant political figures. When he left China for Hong Kong after World War II (WWII), he did no more scientific research but embarked on an autobiography and a study of Chinese national character. A chance renewal of his acquaintance with Leonard Carmichael led to the simultaneous publication of several articles based on work done in the 1930s, and thereby to the revival of Kuo's scientific reputation. However, Kuo preferred to pursue his national character studies—his only post-WWII funded work. The author argues that it was the failure of Kuo's ambitions in China that led to both his interest in national character and to the revival of his scientific reputation, which might otherwise have lain dormant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obituary: Leonard Paul Ullmann (1930–2008).

Presents an obituary for Leonard Paul Ullmann who died on his 78th birthday. The social and behavioral sciences lost a creative thinker, an award-winning teacher, a master clinician, an advocate for evidence-based practices, and a person of unrelenting time, generosity, and service. This obituary summarizes Ullmann's career and accomplishments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the origins of sex differences in social behavior: Darwinian and non-Darwinian accounts.

Responds to the comments made by A. H. Eagly (1997), D. G. Cornell (1997), and M. Schaller (1997) on the author's 1996 article comparing the explanations given by social role theory and evolutionary psychology on human sex differences. The author restates the position adopted in his article and believes that there are certain misunderstandings from which the comments stem. He believes that one major point of confusion is between ultimate explanations (of origins) and proximate explanations (of causation). The author further believes that Schaller is thinking of causation or development and clarifies the original position he took in his article. The author believes that Eagly is focusing on proximate issues and he argues against that view, especially when discussing aggression, though he concedes her theories are worth considering in discussing other issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology: 1988.

The Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology is presented to a person who, in the opinion of the Committee on Scientific Awards, has made distinguished theoretical or empirical advances leading to the understanding or amelioration of important practical problems. In accordance with established custom, the award winner will be invited to present an address on some phase of his or her scientific work at the 1989 APA Convention. This year's winner is Leonard Berkowitz. Berkowitz is cited for his integrative work in combining experimental and social psychology theoretically and methodologically, and a biography and selected bibliography of his works are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unresolved issues in measurement validity: An autobiographical overview.

The author reviews known but neglected validity issues in measurement from the perspective of his 50-year history of research (e.g., D. T. Campbell, 1994). He identifies important but too-often overlooked validity issues in applying assessment to social issues. From this base, he suggests needed next directions in the fields of assessment and measurement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Leonard D. Eron (1920-2007): Obituary.

Presents an obituary of Leonard D. Eron (1920-2007). Eron conducted one of the longest running (spanning over 40 years) longitudinal studies on aggression in children to date: the Columbia County Longitudinal Study. Eron's conclusion that media violence causes aggression in children lead to a storm of controversy. Eron's conclusions were supported by a second longitudinal study he and Rowell Huesmann conducted between 1977 and 1995, the Cross-National Television Study. Eron was a prodigious author of books and articles, and a frequent public policy advocate on Capitol Hill. He was also a Fulbright scholar twice and received APA's Award for Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Media Psychology. Len is survived by his wife Madeline of Lindenhurst, Illinois, his daughter Barbara and two grandchildren, and his son Don. His daughter Joan died in 1990. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Leadership success factors: The old and the new: Interview with Darryl Hartley-Leonard, President, Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

As we roll on toward the 21st century, the business assumptions that once paved our way have undergone massive shifts. When the labor force statistics are totaled for the 1990's, forty-five percent of the net additions will be of non-Caucasian descent; half being first generation Asians or Latins. Almost two thirds of these entries will be female. Additionally, once stable domestic market niches have been destabilized by a world economy. And while generation after generation of new technology brings seemingly infinite potential for enhancing productivity, it also requires an all new business process. What is the result of all these environmental changes? Our entire paradigm for conducting business is undergoing a parallel shift. Astute leaders recognize that we must leave behind our industrial age modus operandi, but what must be added to fill the vacuum? And what aspects of leadership should not, in spite of all the changes, be discarded? Darryl Hartley Leonard, president of Hyatt Hotels Corporation and renowned spokesperson for the hotel industry, addresses these issues in the following interview. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stanley Milgram (1933–1984).

Presents an obituary for Stanley Milgram. Stanley Milgram died on December 20, 1984, in New York City. He was born in New York, too, on August 15, 1933, and he received his bachelor's degree there from Queens College in 1954. At the time of his death, Milgram was a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the City University of New York Graduate Center. Before taking a position at the City University in 1967, Milgram had been at Yale and at Harvard. It was no accident that Milgram was at the City University: He was a New Yorker. He was a lover of the city, a critic of the city, and an analyst of urban life. Milgram's attachment to New York was actually an attachment to all that was urbane; it was manifested in his intense distaste for the provincial and the parochial, including parochial social psychology. He had no respect for social psychology that addressed problems discovered by social psychologists. His interest was in problems people in the street faced, or, at least, could understand. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vaclav Havel: one man disturbing the peace

In summary, I believe that the qualities that Havel exemplifies in his leadership style, namely, his sense of the absurd, his altruism in reluctantly assuming the responsibility for something he started, his amateurish political style, his apologetic stance, and his apolitical ideologies all serve to make him a flexible and idealistic leader who can, indeed must, be trusted and admired by his followers. Despite these personal and leadership qualities, it was fateful that Vaclav Havel was born in a place where his exemplary qualities could be used. Perhaps if he were born in another nation that did not have such a strong tradition of philosopher-kings or a peace-loving nature, he would not have been able to attain such political and idealistic heights. Also, if he had been born just a few decades earlier, he may not have been the recipient of such benevolent treatment from the Soviet system. In another time and place we may have never had the luxury of basking in the ideas and using the courage and fortitude exemplified in his deeds, which inspired his country to greater plateaus. Vaclav Havel and what he symbolizes are inseparable from his history and his cultural experience. We, as the audience in his absurd play, are forever linked to the author and are grateful for the chance to watch the play unfold. It will be interesting to examine the way in which his leadership style changes as a consequence of his illness. Already, those close to him have noticed personality changes that indicate a shift toward a more direct and abrasive demeanor. Post (1980) has written extensively about the critical role played by aging and illness among leaders. Part of what makes this work exciting is that Vaclav Havel is a contemporary leader whose life continues to undergo strange and unexpected twists and turns.     

Theoretical and philosophical issues in psychoanalysis.

Discusses the question of whether philosophical issues have a significant place in contemporary psychoanalytic thought. Topics covered include how the psychoanalytic theoretic enterprise is best viewed, how the person is viewed as an actor in his own life story, and the nature-nurture controversy. The author believes that current psychoanalytic thought reflects the philosophical concerns of mankind through the ages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Person-centred counselling: An experiential approach.

Reviews the book, Person-centered counselling: An experiential approach by David Rennie (1998). In this book, David Rennie gives priority to the working alliance between counsellor and client, and he outlines various ways in which that alliance can be enhanced. This work began as a training guide, which was eventually expanded to include reflections on the way others have approached central issues in the counselling experience. Rennie draws on a range of theorists such as Carl Rogers and Eugene Gendlen, and makes clear his agreements and disagreements with their positions. In some preliminary chapters, Rennie addresses general issues in counselling before embarking on ideas about counselling itself. He emphasizes, in the Rogerian tradition, the importance of empathy for what clients are feeling as they enter the somewhat unusual context of counselling. The remaining chapters are devoted to the therapeutic craft, including such topics as how to listen to clients, the counsellor's reactions to the client's account of his or her experience, openness and transparency in the relationship with the client, identifying process issues, metacommunication, and the working alliance. This book is a refreshing alternative for practitioners and for students students learning the art of therapeutic intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology: Leonard Berkowitz.

The Distinguished Scientific Award for the Applications of Psychology is presented to a person who has made distinguished theoretical or empirical advances leading to the understanding or amelioration of important practical problems. The 1988 winner is Leonard Berkowitz. Berkowitz is cited for his integrative work in combining experimental and social psychology theoretically and methodologically. His systematic research on aggression both with respect to its causes and its targets has been comprehensive in its scope, precise in its specification, and cumulative in its impact upon theory and practice. In addition to the citation, a biography and selected bibliography of Berkowitz's published works are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A bit more light on Ferenczi and Freud.

Further explores issues stressed by L. Aron and J. Frankel (see record 1994-41100-001) in commenting on J. K. Tabin's (see record 1994-05584-001) article on Freud's motivation for rethinking his seduction theory. The author presents material that confirms Freud's priority in citing the relationship between splitting of the ego and childhood sexual trauma; that describes signs of Ferenczi's considerable emotional difficulty during the last period of his life; and that shows that Freud's referring to Ferenczi as paranoid was a reaction to Ferenczi's hostility to him, significantly predating their public theoretical differences. An important aspect of the last matter is Ferenczi's explanation of his hostility: Freud never helped him with the negative transference that underlay his idealization of Freud. Freud defended himself by saying that negative transference was not understood when he treated Ferenczi. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nobrow: Identity Formation in a Fatherless Generation.

Generation X, the cohort born between 1964 and 1978, often confronts the clinician with new dilemmas, which the author presents in a detailed case study of his work with Ben, a young man who exemplifies many traits of this generation. The author argues that it is not fruitful to classify Gen-Xers' modes of experience as expressing some early type of pathology; rather, they reflect the social and cultural experience of Generation X. This is characterized by a shift from vertical to horizontal orientation: The connection to the past has less psychic reality for the members of this cohort. Instead they live in a cultural universe defined by the media, the new economy, and the refusal to accept the differences between high and low culture. The impact of this cultural discontinuity on the process of identity formation for Gen-Xers is examined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A sermon of sorts in three plus parts.

Based on his presidential address delivered at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1982, the author urges APA's commitment to 3 tasks: (1) a continuing study of the intellectual and social influences, inside and outside psychology, that have shaped and continue to shape its directions, (2) an active program to increase the public's understanding of what psychology is and what psychologists do, and (3) a formal involvement at the level of national policy in issues where psychological knowledge and skills are relevant. (70 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)