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 Commitment in the workplace: Theory, research, and application.

Reviews the book, Commitment in the workplace: Theory, research, and application by John P. Meyer and Natalie J. Allen (see record 1997-97593-000). The authors have produced a very well-written and interesting book on the topic of organizational commitment. They bring a conceptual framework to a research area that seems to have been largely atheoretical. Their own theoretically derived and systematic research program spans two decades of research. In this book, Meyer and Allen carefully and methodically introduce their three-component conceptualization of work commitment and review empirical work either emanating from or relevant to their model. (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 Handbook of psychopathy.

Reviews the book, Handbook of psychopathy edited by Christopher J. Patrick (2007). This book aims to address these new developments. The book includes 31 chapters from leading researchers in the field. Chapters are organised into six sections, although the final one consists solely of a summary commentary by Patrick. Overall, this book provides a comprehensive review of the divergent research areas that have surfaced in the decades following the advent of the PCL-R and, as such, it promises to be an important reference for years to come. Some chapters are well suited for graduate courses in psychology (e.g., those reviewing theoretical perspectives and applied topics), criminology (e.g., Farrington's chapter), psychiatry (e.g., Minzenberg and Siever's chapter), and neuroscience (i.e., those reviewing neurobiological findings), and some will undoubtedly serve as important starting points for future research (e.g., chapters on etiological mechanisms), both in terms of delineating potentially fruitful lines of enquiry and important methodological limitations to overcome. However, this text is primarily of academic interest, with chapters mainly authored by researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of Indian psychology.

Reviews the book, Handbook of Indian psychology, edited by K. Ramakrishna Rao, Anand C. Paranjpe, and Ajit K. Dalal (see record 2008-09634-000). The importance and development of indigenous perspectives in psychology are well-documented in recent years, and many volumes have appeared that focus on specific cultural regions. The present volume is a welcome addition to this line of work, particularly as it is just the inaugural volume in a series entitled the “Indian Psychology Book Project.” After an introductory chapter, the volume is organised into three general parts devoted to “Systems and Schools,” “Topics and Themes,” and “Applications and Implications”. The first part is largely concerned with broad cultural and theological influences on Indian psychology. The second part includes topics that are typical of western psychological approaches, including motivation, personality, cognition, emotion and consciousness, all cast within an Indian cultural perspective. In the third part, authors seek to apply specific knowledge from these domains of Indian psychology to areas of practise such as meditation and health, and organisational effectiveness. This volume presents an exceedingly rich set of materials. Those interested in comprehending human beings in all their diversity should be prepared to spend hours with this book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of Human Engineering Data.

Reviews the second edition of the book "Handbook of human engineering data". This Handbook was developed by the Institute for Applied Experimental Psychology of Tufts College, Medford, Massachusetts, under contract with the Special Devices Center of the Office of Naval Research. Work on it was begun in 1947. To many nonpsychologists the Handbook provides the means whereby they first become aware of the broad panorama of scientific concern with man in a nonclinical sense. This reviewer also believes there should be a growing place for the Handbook in training programs throughout the country, whether in college, government, or industry. The Handbook of Human Engineering Data in the opinion of this reviewer is an important contribution which, teamed up with two other major publications in human engineering provides a strong basis for growth and effective practice in human engineering. Consequently people interested therein should have the Handbook available to them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of behavioral medicine.

Reviews the book, Handbook of behavioral medicine by W. Doyle Gentry (1984). This volume, which was years in the writing, is less a handbook than it is a compendium of well-written chapters by outstanding researchers discussing selected important areas in the field of behavioral medicine. These areas include psychosocial factors related to etiology of disease; cardiovascular, immunological, and gastrointestinal disease mechanisms; coping; patient decision-making; compliance; and behavioral and community interventions. This volume is not as inclusive as one would expect from a handbook, neither in thoroughness of literature reviews nor in topic areas covered. However, the chapter topics are well chosen and the book provides a detailed assessment of current work in these important areas. The reviewer found this volume to be impressive because of the high quality of writing and the careful discussion of issues and research in each of these important topic areas. Those wanting to keep informed about conceptual models and research findings in the health psychology and behavioral medicine areas will find this book to be invaluable. (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 depression in children and adolescents.

Reviews the book, Handbook of depression in children and adolescents by John R. Z. Abela and Benjamin L. Hankin (see record 2008-01178-000). The editors of this book embraced the ambitious objective of assembling a comprehensive review of the burgeoning literature on the etiology, prevention, and treatment of depression in children and adolescents. The book is divided into five parts. In an unusually brief introductory chapter, the editors emphasise the need for a critical analysis of the research on diverse theories of the etiology of depression in young people and coverage of interventions based on current theories. It is clear that this objective is met throughout the book. Abela and Hankin warn the reader that the reviews may generate more questions than answers. They hope the book will inspire the development of integrative and developmentally sensitive models. The book provides a comprehensive overview that clearly conveys the vibrancy of research in this area. The current format separates research on etiology from that on intervention. The authors of individual chapters do a good job of briefly highlighting the etiological factors on which the interventions are based. In a future edition, it would be very helpful for the editors to play a more explicit role in providing integrative syntheses to weave the themes together. In addition, to lay the foundation for the inclusion of positive psychotherapy and positive youth development programs, it would be useful to include a chapter addressing resilience and protective factors. In conclusion, this book will be appreciated by clinical scientists and scientist-practitioners alike. Abela and Hankin are to be congratulated for editing a book that convinces the reader that this is an exciting research area with great promise for further development of prevention and treatment of depression in children and adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology of industrial relations.

Reviews the book, "Psychology of industrial relations," by C. H. Lawshe (see record 1954-03380-000). In the reviewer's opinion, the authors have done a creditable job in presenting a large body of facts and principles, backed up with sufficient references to research literature. However, certain areas to which psychologists have devoted considerable thinking and research are inexplicably omitted or merely mentioned in passing, viz., industrial safety, democracy in management, executive development, employee rating methods, characteristics of the learning curve, transfer of training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of School violence: Fears versus facts.

Reviews the book, School violence: Fears versus facts by Dewey G. Cornell (see record 2006-07405-000). This book provides a unique focus on common misperceptions regarding school violence. One of the most notable misperceptions is that school violence is on the rise. This is just one of the misperceptions that Cornell's book addresses. Each chapter of the book begins with a case example and fundamental question about school violence, followed by the presentation of research to answer the question. The book concludes with recommendations for what our schools need to prevent violence. These recommendations follow directly from the content of the book and include specific suggestions about eliminating ineffective programs in favor of empirically based efforts, amending legislation that has led to the adoption of ineffective zero tolerance policies, avoiding sensational news coverage of school violence, and making universal prevention a public health mission. The reviewer notes the importance of making data-based decisions about how to prevent and respond to school violence. In order to do this, it is critical to have knowledge of the facts, and to also be aware of common misperceptions about school violence. This book provides educators, graduate students, and parents with that information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reducing the adverse consequences of workplace aggression and violence: The buffering effects of organizational support.

This study examined the buffering effects of 2 types of organizational support--instrumental and informational--on the relationships between workplace violence/aggression and both personal and organizational outcomes. Based on data from 225 employees in a health care setting, a series of moderated multiple regression analyses demonstrated that organizational support moderated the effects of physical violence, vicariously experienced violence, and psychological aggression on emotional well-being, somatic health, and job-related affect, but not on fear of future workplace violence and job neglect. These findings have implications for both research and intervention related to workplace violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of psychotherapy supervision.

Reviews the book, Handbook of psychotherapy supervision by C. Edward Watkins Jr. (see record 1997-08923-000). This book offers a forum for some of the most influential thinkers of our time to discuss what is probably the most critical aspect of learning how to become a therapist: clinical supervision. The book is well organized, comprehensive, and informative. In it, the elusive nature of teaching how to conduct psychotherapy is explored and clarified from a variety of perspectives and across myriad contexts. Overall, the book provides a wealth of information in an organized and readable fashion. Nonetheless, the topics explored include some areas that were not covered adequately. For example, the book would have been further enhanced had the subject of supervisory failures been given more attention, as we know that learning from past errors often provides the most valuable teaching opportunities. Despite a few minor criticisms, the book serves as a wonderful reference for practitioners, students, and teachers of psychotherapy. While extremely useful for the beginning supervisor, the book is also a valuable resource for seasoned supervisors who wish to expand or challenge their ways of thinking about supervision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of experiential psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Handbook of experiential psychotherapy edited by Leslie S. Greenberg, Jeanne C. Watson, and Germain Lietaer (1998). The editors note in their introductory comment that the "influence of the humanistic approaches to psychotherapy has waned since their prominence in the sixties and seventies" (p. ix). What this book makes eminently clear, however, is that experientially oriented therapies have not disappeared in the shadow of more recent developments in theory and practice. This book is well written, well organized, and rich in content. Furthermore, it fills an important gap in the literature. In a climate dominated by the search for "scientifically validated treatments," for-profit mental service providers, and praxis dominated by issues of efficacy, concern for the fundamental underlying process responsible for positive human change tends to be relegated to the background. This volume not only highlights the contributions experiential/third-force psychotherapy has made and continues to make to our appreciation of these fundamental processes, but also manages to combine and balance interesting theoretical discussion with clinically useful practical material. While this volume is no "cookbook of experiential therapy," the authors respect the practical demands facing practitioners and provide useful examples of applying some of the basic tenets of the "third force" to a range of specific issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Handbook of severe disability.

Reviews the book, Handbook of severe disability by W. Stolov and M. Clowers (1981). This book has many strengths that make it a mandatory reference manual for professionals who work with individuals with severe illness and disability. First, the chapters have been written by highly regarded professionals who have clinical and research experience with the disability group about which they write. Thus there is an understanding of the scope of the rehabilitation problem and a commitment to the disability group in question that is apparent in the manner in which the chapters have been written. Second, the scope of the book makes it a useful reference tool for those who work in rehabilitation settings that serve clients with a variety of disabilities. Third, the price of the book is less than $20, which makes it affordable by those who need the information most. Any psychologist who works with a variety of severely disabled persons should be familiar with the information contained in this book. Ordinarily this takes years of on-the-job experience and reading. Thus this book can shorten the learning period considerably. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preventing workplace mobbing and bullying with effective organizational consultation, policies, and legislation.

Workplace mobbing or workplace bullying has only recently entered the lexicon of the American workplace. Although its impact is devastating to the health and well-being of individuals, organizations also experience its effects in terms of loss of productivity, absenteeism, turnover, legal costs, and negative publicity. Legislation and policy development are 2 key initiatives that, used wisely, can help prevent such mobbing and bullying. Although the United States currently has no legislation addressing workplace abuse, it is anticipated that bullying and mobbing will be the next legislative front for the protection of workers and the improvement of workplace culture. Today, many organizations are working with consultants to develop policies to prevent bulling/mobbing and to foster high-care work environments. A template for developing effective antimobbing/antibullying organizational policies is provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychology: The adaptive mind.

Reviews the book, Psychology: The adaptive mind by James S. Nairne, Martin S. Smith, and D. Stephen Lindsay (2001). This book contains references to Canadian researchers past and present and to Canadian websites, pictures of Canadian researchers, references to Canadian incidents (the Swissair flight crash off the coast of Nova Scotia opens the text), citations to the Canadian Psychological Association as well as to Canadian funding agencies (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC), and mentions of Canadian institutions. The reviewer was impressed by the fact that the authors accomplish their Canadian task without compromising any of the classic topics and studies in the field. The authors' writing style is accessible and easy to follow. The 16 chapters are well organized and thorough. The examples are relevant and of interest to undergraduate students. This text, while not addressing the issue directly, does note that women have been overlooked in historical treatments of psychology and makes a point of including the influence of women pioneers in psychology. A second concerns the overreliance on undergraduate students as research participants representing the adult population. The reviewer find this text to rank among the best when considering Introductory Psychology textbooks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)