Review of Helping: Origins and development of the major psychotherapies.

Reviews the book, Helping: Origins and Development of the Major Psychotherapies by David R. Cole (1982). This is an unusual introductory text on two counts. It is different from most other introductions to counselling and therapy both in the breadth of the perspective it takes on the helping profession and in the depth with which it reviews the theoretical underpinnings of the humanistic view that it offers. In terms of its breadth, it provides an excellent introduction to human behaviour and the helping process in the first chapter and in the next three chapters provides the reader with an overview of the three major helping disciplines: psychiatry, psychology, and social work. In terms of depth, the author does a good job of presenting an introductory discussion of issues underlying a number of the theories reviewed. Although the book is subtitled Origins and Development of the Major Psychotherapies, it does not cover all major theories in the field but rather has a distinctive humanistic flavour. This perspective strongly colours the way in which the material is presented and leads to what many would regard as a slightly unbalanced presentation of the disciplines. In general, the book presents a very good summary of the six theories it covers under experiential and cognitive headings, paying attention to the subtleties of the approaches as well as the generalities. The book would be most useful in any introductory course on helping. It would be useful too in any course in education or any management training course in which an understanding of human relations or "personnel" concerns is required. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Medical psychology: Contributions to behavioral medicine.

Reviews the book, Medical psychology: Contributions to behavioral medicine edited by Charles K. Prokop and Laurence A. Bradley (1981). This book is another generally commendable entry on a growing list of books that overview the field of Medical Psychology, Health Psychology, or Behavioral Medicine. The book is divided into four sections: An Introduction, Assessment of Medical Disorders, Treatment and Prevention of Medical Disorders, and Special Topics in Medical Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. The second and third sections account for the bulk of the volume and comprise critical reviews of psychological approaches to assessment and treatment of specific health problems. Both assessment and treatment are mentioned by the editors as areas in which medical psychology has made unique contributions to behavioral medicine. Other issues described as important contributions--issues such as prevention and evaluation--are covered only briefly. This book is a highly useful source book. It is especially valuable to the applied researcher or practitioner who works with several departments in a medical school or other health setting. For such individuals, this volume can provide research and treatment programs in the specialty areas represented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Behavioral psychology in rehabilitation medicine: Clinical applications.

Reviews the book, Behavioral psychology in rehabilitation medicine: Clinical applications by Laurence P. Ince (1980). This book summarizes, illustrates, and stimulates the application of behavioral psychology to the solution of motoric, cognitive, perceptual, communicative, pain-related, and self-management problems admirably. Overall, this is a book that deserves a prominent place in the preparatory and continuing education of rehabilitation personnel in all of the psychosocial, medical, and engineering disciplines. The volume illustrates the gap that exists between already available technologies and typical programs in rehabilitation centers, programs that, in Friedlander's words, "have barely emerged from the 19th century" (p. 62). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Control: A history of behavioral psychology.

Reviews the book, Control: A history of behavioral psychology by John A. Mills (see record 1998-06687-000). This book steps outside the present and examines the stations on the path followed by behaviorist thought and practice in its conquest of the discipline. Although these broader effects are a constant presence, the examination is conducted with scrupulous attention to specific historical evidence. Mills not only engages the considerable secondary literature in fruitful discussion but also marshals important facts and insights gained from his own archival research on the unpublished correspondence, diaries, and seminar notes of key figures. This book provides insights into the social and intellectual context of behaviorism and its progeny. According to the reviewer, Mills' book offers the most comprehensive, accessible, and elegantly argued account of the topic that is currently available. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Culture and Biological Man: Explorations in Behavioral Anthropology.

Reviews the book, Culture and Biological Man: Explorations in Behavioral Anthropology by Eliot D. Chapple (1970). This text attempts to present the biological and cultural bases of human behaviour within an anthropological framework. It contains chapters on Biology and Anthropology, Biological Clocks, Biological Rhythms and Personality, The Biological Basis of Emotional Behavior, Emotional-Interactional Patterning of Temperament, Dominance, The Individual as an Interactional System, and Origins of Personality and Temperament Patterns, in the section dealing with biological bases. Turning to cultural influences, there are chapters on Constraints of Distance on Interactional Probabilities, The Cultural Dimension of Space, Dimensional Constraints of Cultural Sequences, The Organization of Institutions, Constraints of Communication Patterning, Roles, Interactional Crises, and Rituals, Symbols, and the "Secular Society." A bibliography and index are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Resistance: Psychodynamic and Behavioral Approaches.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 7(1) of Psychoanalytic Psychology (see record 2007-10573-001). In this review, the phrase "in his inimical style" (p.238) should read "in his inimitable style.] This three-part edited collection of chapters considers the problem of resistance in psychotherapy. The term is defined and considered from several radically difference psychological perspectives. The psychoanalytic approach in Part I consists of four chapters written by authorities in the field. The four chapters of Part II concern both cognitive and pure behavioral approaches. Part III contains eight brief chapters in which the authors were invited to comment on one author's contributions. In the main the authors remain focused and concise, but it is very obvious that resistance has a remarkably broad variety of definitions, and that some of these definitions are so different that the authors do not appear to be speaking of similar phenomena. What is also clear from this complicated edited collection is that the clinician needs to be much more flexible in his theoretical positions. (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 Consistency in Social Behavior: The Ontario Symposium (Vol. 2).

Reviews the book, Consistency in Social Behavior: The Ontario Symposium (Vol. 2), edited by Mark P. Zanna, E. Tory Higgins, and C. Peter Herman (1982). The volume has two major foci: the consistency of the individual's behaviour in different situations, and the consistency between people's attitudes and their behaviour. These issues have been classic concerns, respectively, of personality and social psychologists. Once upon a time, we as psychologists naively assumed the existence of both forms of consistency. But in the last two decades our faith has been shaken. For the most part, the participants in the Second Ontario Symposium help to restore our faith. But, in doing so, they provide a more sophisticated, qualified view of consistency. In conclusion, this set of papers is a record of, and a testimonial to, the success of the Second Ontario Symposium on Personality and Social Psychology. It is the present reviewer's hope that this biannual event will be continued in the years ahead. Clearly, the Second Symposium was worth the effort involved! (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology of language.

Reviews the book, Psychology of Language by Allan Paivio and Ian Begg (1981). The present volume constitutes a well-organized and sometimes provocative contribution that merits careful consideration. From the start, the authors set to work toward achieving their stated goals of emphasizing "historical and interdisciplinary concerns". They present a careful analysis of the three positions which they contrast throughout the book: the linguistic, the behavioural, and the cognitive. The particular version of the cognitive view that receives the most detailed consideration is Paivio's dual-coding theory. After the basic principles of these orientations are presented, they are brought to bear upon the central problems of language, including meaning, comprehension, memory and acquisition. Who will benefit from this book? The authors state that they hope it will be useful to upper year undergraduate and graduate students. It is the reviewer's feeling that most undergraduates would find this to be a difficult text. It is the serious and even sophisticated student of language for whom it will be of greatest value. Omissions notwithstanding, Psychology of Language presents many thoughtful and scholarly ideas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral philosophy in the late 1980’s.

Division 25 (Experimental Analysis of Behavior) is composed of about 1500 behaviorally-oriented psychologists, both applied and basic. It is one of the few divisions defined not by a specific sub-content area of psychology, but by an approach to the whole of psychology. In this sense, Division 25 is probably one of the most philosophically-oriented of all the divisions in APA: the majority of its members are more or less comfortable with behavioral philosophy. Of course, some of our members are not at all philosophically oriented, and are members because of their attraction to behavioral techniques, methodology, or to specific behavioral theories. Further, due to the history of behavioral analysis, there are fundamental disagreements about the nature of behaviorism among behaviorists. Thus, the remainder of what I will say in this paper should be thought of merely as my personal opinion—not as a statement on behalf of the Division. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social psychology.

Reviews the book, Social psychology by Daniel Perlman and P. Chris Cozby (1983). In agreeing to co-edit a text sponsored by The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, Daniel Perlman and P. Chris Cozby accepted the challenge of producing a non-traditional text aimed at a very traditional market. Their self-described "most salient goal" was "to focus attention on social issues and problems." They recognized, however, that that goal could only be achieved by meeting "the needs of students." The co-editors additionally accepted the implicit task of counterbalancing social psychology's tradition of presenting the discipline as being almost exclusively laboratory-based. As a result, Social Psychology--in its accuracy and completeness of the literature surveyed--represents on of the better books in the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Weight Control: The Behavioural Strategies.

Reviews the book, Weight Control: The Behavioural Strategies by Michael D. LeBow (1981). This book does a more than adequate job in examining behavioural methods currently used in treatment of obesity. The influence of behaviour therapy on weight control is evaluated with realistic appraisals of its values and limitations. As an introduction for the novice therapist this book will be extremely valuable. Even the appendices of weight charts, skin fold measurement procedures, food calories and calorie expenditures may be used by the practitioner. The greatest limitation of the methodology presented and thus of the book itself, however, is the failure to recognize serious problems in behavioural technology (e.g., there is great variability in patients' responses to a behavioural program). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Drugs and behavior: An introduction to behavioral pharmacology.

Reviews the book, Drugs and behavior: An introduction to behavioral pharmacology by William A. McKim (1986). This book effectively describes in 14 chapters the diverse aspects of behavioural pharmacology. The structure of the chapters ensures that a continuity of basic principles in behavioural pharmacology will emerge, and the reader will be able to understand the behavioural consequences of drugs with respect to their physiology and pharmacology in each chapter. This book covers the material well, and in my opinion its greatest strength is its readability. The author produced a book that will not only give undergraduate and graduate students a solid foundation in behavioural pharmacology, but will also provide an enjoyable reading experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contributions of psychology to limiting climate change.

Psychology can make a significant contribution to limiting the magnitude of climate change by improving understanding of human behaviors that drive climate change and human reactions to climate-related technologies and policies, and by turning that understanding into effective interventions. This article develops a framework for psychological contributions, summarizes what psychology has learned, and sets out an agenda for making additional contributions. It emphasizes that the greatest potential for contributions from psychology comes not from direct application of psychological concepts but from integrating psychological knowledge and methods with knowledge from other fields of science and technology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of Clinical Health Psychology: Volume 1, Medical Disorders and Behavioral Applications.

This article reviews the edited book by S. B. Johnson, N. W. Perry Jr., and R. H. Rozensky titled, "Handbook of Clinical Health Psychology: Volume 1, Medical Disorders and Behavioral Applications. Reviewed by David Aboussafy, this article covers the major themes of the book and delves deep into the issues of health psychology and the current state of the scientific knowledge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Challenges in clinical practice.

Reviews the book, Challenges in clinical practice edited by Pollack, Otto, and Rosenbau (see record 1996-97898-000). This textbook addresses the interface of pharmacological and psychological approaches to treating human behavior. It seems to strike the difficult balance between providing sufficient scientific and clinical underpinnings in a "reader friendly" format, without speaking down to the audience. In general, this book is sufficiently comprehensive and written in a clear style. It may be helpful for psychiatrists as well as psychologists, though general practitioners might have some difficulty keeping up. However, an attempt to further dilute it would probably have detracted from its strengths. This was an ambitious effort by the authors. One hopes that such work will enhance future efforts to bridge the gap between two fields that are in need of a new training model that will help in the development of a much more powerful model for the comprehensive delivery of mental health services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Science Game: An Introduction to Research in the Behavioral Sciences.

Reviews the book, The Science Game: An Introduction to Research in the Behavioral Sciences by Neil McK. Agnew and Sandra W. Pyke (1969). This book treats topics normally included in philosophy-of-science courses, like the difference between science and nonscience; scientific theory; the pragmatic, semantic and syntactic roles of language; and the stress placed in science on unambiguity and rigid criteria of proof. It also touches on topics in the area of experimental design and statistics, like nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio scales of measurement; sampling and generalizing; and the design of naturalistic and experimental studies. Some additional topics, such as training for scientific research and the topic of science as a big business, are not ordinarily covered in any course. Undergraduate students in general will find the book easy to read and some will find the witty irreverent style appealing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Social learning and clinical psychology.

Reviews the book, Social learning and clinical psychology by Julian B. Rotter (1954). Social Learning and Clinical Psychology is in effect two books in one, a trenchant and forceful evaluation of just what clinicians are doing, and a formulation of a behavior theory which strives to provide a more secure groundwork upon which meaningful clinical practice may be based. The theory, admittedly tentative and incomplete, represents a genuine contribution to the clarification of thinking about clinical problems. The book falls rather naturally into three distinct sections. Chapters I through IV present a detailed survey of the current functions and problems faced by the working clinical psychologist from a theoretical and technical point of view. The middle section of the book comprises the author's unique contribution, a "social learning theory of personality." The third section of this book, while broadest in scope, is somewhat disappointing. Here Rotter attempts to relate his four classes of variables, the subject's behavior, expectation of reinforcement, the value of external reinforcements, and the psychological situation, to the vast panoply of theoretical approaches, clinical instruments, and psychotherapeutic techniques which are involved in the clinician's functioning. On the whole, then, this book is an impressive achievement. Despite a few shortcomings, there is much to be learned from this book by those who are willing to read it carefully and reflectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Technologies nouvelles et aspects psychologiques.

Reviews the book, Technologies nouvelles et aspects psychologiques edited by Larocque, Boulard, Fabi, Larouche, and et Rondeau (1987). The following review is from a book including a few English chapters, but mostly written in French. The intention in publishing this English review by Natalie Kishchuk is to make French publications better known to readers of both languages. The book seems mistitled--only four chapters out of twelve touch more than very tangentially on new technologies (those by Larouche, Fischer, David-MacNeil, and Laville). Given that the book contains proceedings of the fourth annual conference of the Association de psychologie du travail de langue francaise, which had the theme "Les conflits générés par les environnements en évolution: aspects culturels et dynamiques," it is not surprising that most of the chapters in fact focus on organizational change processes. In sum, this book is probably best viewed as a collection of discrete readings loosely organized around some general organizational themes, rather than as a summary of the state of knowledge about the psychological implications of technological change. Although there are interesting and novel ideas contained in many of the chapters, the book as a whole, being such a mélange of styles and approaches, is less successful than one would have hoped. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications.

This article provides a review of the "Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications" (see record 2004-00163-000). The topic of self-regulation is currently receiving increasing attention in various areas of psychological research. Many psychological disorders (such as depression, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder etc.) as well as addictions and risk-taking behaviour are believed to involve some kind of failure of self-regulation. Self-regulation is a concept that crosses domains. For this reason, self-regulation is, as the editors of the the book remark, "simply too large, diverse, and important a topic not to have a handbook". The editors of the Handbook define self-regulation as "processes by which the human psyche exercises control over its functions, states, and inner processes". This broad definition serves as the umbrella under which multiple areas of self-regulation research are presented. The book comprises six sections, which progress from consideration of basic processes, to applications of theory and research to "everyday problems" of self-regulation. Each chapter is self-contained, allowing one to select and focus on topics of interest. At the same time, the individual chapters provide neither a systematic discussion and comparison of different views on self-regulation, nor an exhaustive review of the literature. Furthermore, because the authors of the individual chapters largely focus on the presentation of their approach to self-regulation, the Handbook reflects the fragmented and kaleidoscopic state of self-regulation research in general. The book is a good choice for anyone with an interest in self-regulation, particularly anyone who seeks a collation of the literature, summaries of key concepts, and an idea of where the field of self-regulation is headed in the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)