Book Reviews

Dana, Richard H., Foundations of clinical psychology: problems in personality and adjustment, Princeton, N.J.: Van Nostrand, 1966, 322 pp. Reviewed by Vincent Glaudin

Goldstein, Arnold P., Heller, Kenneth, and Sechrest, Lee B., Psychotherapy and the psychology of behavior change. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1966, 492 p., $8.95. Reviewed by Sohan Lal Sharma

Phillips, Herbert P., Thai peasant personality, Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1965, Pp. 231, $6.00. Reviewed by Irving R. Stone

Hudson, Liam. Contrary imaginations: A psychological study of the young student. New York: Schocken Books, Inc., 1966, 181 pp., $4.95. Reviewed by Dale D. Simmons, Ph.D.

Kantor, Robert E., & Herron, William G., Reactive and process schizophrenia. Palo Alto: Science & Behavior, 1966, 184 pp. Reviewed by Ernest Kramer

Atkinson, John W. & Feather, Norman T. A theory of achievement motivation. New York: John Wiley, 1966, 392 + x. Reviewed by Clifford H. Swensen

Goldberg, Miriam, L., Passow, Harry, A., & Justman, Joseph. The effects of ability grouping. New York: Teachers College Press, 1966, 254 pp. Reviewed by Samuel I. Goldstein

White, Mary Alice & Charry, June. School disorder, intelligence, and social class. New York: Teachers College Press, 1966, 92 pp., $2.25. Reviewed by Kevin M. Mitchell

Raychaudhuri, Manas. Studies in artistic creativity: Personality structure of the musician. Calcutta: Rabindra Bharati, 1966, 256 pp., Rs. $15.00. Reviewed by Dell Lebo

Glasser, Alan J. & Zimmerman, Irla Lee, Clinical interpretation of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. New York & London: Grune & Stratton, 1967. pp. 152. Reviewed by Ronald E. Smith     

Reviews

Books reviewed Finkel, Donald L., Teaching with Your Mouth Shut Moon, Jennifer A., Reflection in Learning & Professional Development: Theory & Practice Murphy, Terrence J., A Catholic University: Vision and Opportunities Gearon, Liam, ed., English Literature, Theology and the Curriculum Braxton, John M. and Bayer, Alan E., Faculty Misconduct in Collegiate Teaching Daloz, Laurent A., Mentor: Guiding the Journey of Adult Learners Zachary, Lois J., The Mentor's Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships Maher, Frances A. and Tetreault, Mary Kay Thompson, The Feminist Classroom: Dynamics of Gender, Race and Privilege Logan, Regina L. and Fromberg, Robert, (eds.), The Feminist Classroom: Dynamics of Gender, Race and Privilege Race, Phil, 500 Tips on Group Learning     

Children living with violence within the family and its sequel: A meta-analysis from 1995–2006

Based on 37 articles published in international refereed journals between 1995 and 2006, this meta-analytical review attempted to study the sequel of children living with family violence. It specifically attempted to identify the overall effect size of family violence on children's adjustment outcomes. Moderators that exerted their effects on the relationship were also studied. The overall effect size generated from the 353 study-level effect sizes was rather small (Z_r = .201). Moderating analysis on study designs, sample sources, child developmental stages and gender did not show significant heterogeneity in effect sizes, while there was significant dispersion in effect sizes among different types of child adjustment outcomes. Results of this study are basically resonant with the meta-analyses of Kitzmann et al. [Kitzmann, K. M., Gaylord, N. K., Holt, A. R., & Kenny, E. D., (2003). Child witnesses to domestic violence: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 339–352] and Wolfe et al. [Wolfe, D. A., Crooks, C. V., Lee, V., McIntyre-Smith, A., & Jaffe, P. G., (2003). The effects of children's exposure to domestic violence: A meta-analysis and critique. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 6, 171–187], but add new information in that the report source of family violence was not a significant moderator, while that of child adjustment outcomes was.     

Car following from the driver’s perspective

In this commentary, it is argued that the car following models discussed in Brackstone, M., and McDonald, M. (Transportation Research – Part F (2000), pp. 181–196) ignore one or more of the following issues that characterize to observed driver behavior. These include: (i) car following is only one of many tasks that drivers perform simultaneously and receives therefore only intermittent attention and control (task scheduling/attention management), (ii) drivers are satisfied with a range of conditions that extend beyond the boundaries imposed by perceptual and control limitation (satisficing instead of optimal performance evaluation), and (iii) in each driving task drivers use a set of highly informative perceptual variables to guide decision making and control (perceptual rather than Newtonian input). To elucidate these issues, a general driver modeling framework is presented in which the car-following task is highlighted (Boer, E. R., & Hoedemaeker, M. (1998). In Proceedings of the XVIIth European Annual Conference on Human Decision making and Manual Control December 14–16. France: Valenciennes; Boer, E. R., Hildreth, E. C., & Goodrich, M. A. (1998). In Proceedings of the XVIIth European Annual Conference on Human Decision making and Manual Control December 14–16. France: Valenciennes).     

Shooting the messenger won’t change the news

Malcolm-Smith, Solms, Turnbull and Tredoux [Malcolm-Smith, S., Solms, M., Turnbull, O., & Tredoux, C. (2008). Threat in dreams: An adaptation? Consciousness and Cognition, 17, 1281–1291.] conducted a rigorous study that sampled two populations differentially exposed to threat in real life, and found that critical predictions from the Threat Simulation Theory of dreams [Revonsuo, A. (2000a). The reinterpretation of dreams: An evolutionary hypothesis of the function of dreaming. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23, 877-901.; Revonsuo, A. (2000b). Did ancestral humans dream for their lives? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 23, 1063–1082.] were not supported. Specifically, we found no evidence of increased realistic threats to physical survival or enhanced threat avoidance in the dreams of those from the exposed population. Revonsuo and Valli’s [Revonsuo, A., & Valli, K. (2008). How to test the threat simulation theory. Consciousness and Cognition, 17, 1292-1296.] commentary on our study argues that the methods we used are so flawed as to render the results meaningless. In this response article, we address the criticisms raised in their commentary.     

A Comparison of the Ninth Mental Measurements Yearbook and Test Critiques,Volumes I—III

Keyser, D.K., & Sweetland, R.C. (Eds.). (1985). Test critiques (Vols. I-III). Kansas City, MO: Test Corporation of America. Mitchell, J.V., Jr. (Ed.). (1985). The ninth mental measurements yearbook (Vols. I & II). Lincoln: University of Nebraska, Buros Institute of Mental Measurements.     

New Directions in Career Guidance: A Special Report for the Profession

Bonaparte, G., Chapman, J., & Steinberg, J. (1987). Michigan: Two career guidance models. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 142–143. Greenwood, K. (1987). Counseling adults in career transition. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 44–46. Herr, E.L. (1987). Comprehensive career guidance and vocational education: Natural allies. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 30–33. Lambert, R. (1987). A guide to career information. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 34–36. Lester, J.N., & McCormac, M.E. (1987). The NOICC career guidance standards project. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 47–48. Otto, L.B. (1987). Parents: Key advisors. Vocational Education Journal, 62(6), 37–38.     

Perfectionism, acne and appearance concerns

This study investigated the relationship between perfectionism and two aspects of appearance worry: acne-related concerns and dysmorphic concerns. One-hundred and sixty five female university students completed measures of three facets of perfectionism: self-oriented, other-oriented and socially prescribed [Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991a). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: conceptualization, assessment and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456–470], general psychopathology (GHQ-28), acne health related quality of life [Girman, C. J., Hartmaier, S., Thiboutot, D., Johnson, J., Barter, B., DeMunro-Mercon, & Waldstreicher, J. (1996). Evaluating health-related quality of life in patients with facial acne: development of a self-administered questionnaire for clinical trials. Quality of Life Research, 5, 481–490] and dysmorphic concerns [Oostuizen, P., Lambert, T., & Castle, D.J. (1998). Dysmorphic concern: prevalence and associations with clinical variables. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 32, 129–132]. Multiple regression analyses showed that, after controlling for general psychopathology, a high level of socially prescribed perfectionism was associated with a greater tendency to be concerned about acne in particular and appearance in general.     

Responsibility-Inducing interventions with Older Clients

Robb, S.S., & Stegman, C.E. (1983). Companion animals and elderly people: A challenge for evaluators of social support. The Gerontologist, 23, 277–282. Ory, M.G., & Goldberg, E.L. (1983). Pet possession and well-being in elderly women. Research on Aging, 5, 389–409. Banziger, G., & Roush, S. (1983). Nursing homes for the birds: A control-relevant intervention with bird feeders. The Gerontologist, 23, 527–531.     

Evaluation of the Dispositional Hope Scale in injury survivors

Hope is a higher-order cognitive construct that encompasses the belief in one’s ability to accomplish personal goals. Hope has been conceptualised as consisting of two constructs – Pathways (the individual’s perceived means available to achieve goals) and Agency (belief in ones ability to succeed in using the identified Pathways). This study aimed to validate a measure of hope, the Dispositional Hope Scale (DHS: [Snyder, C. R., Harris, C., Anderson, J. R., Holleran, S. A., Irving, L. M., Sigman, S. T., et al. (1991). The will and the ways: Development and validation of an individual differences measure of hope. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(4), 570–585]) in a large sample of traumatic injury survivors (N = 1025). The findings support the psychometric properties of the scale, as well as the two-factor structure of Agency and Pathways, in this population. This study provides support for the use of the DHS as a measure of hope in traumatised populations.     

Reviews

Books reviewed in this article: Clark, Ruth Colvin and Mayer, Richard E., e‐Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning Lucas, Christopher J. and Murry, John W. Jr., New Faculty: A Practical Guide for Academic Beginners Rose, Karel and Kincheloe, Joe L., Art, Culture, & Education: Artful Teaching in a Fractured Landscape Schultze, Quentin J., Habits of the High‐Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the Information Age Migliazzo, Arlin C., Editor, Teaching as an Act of Faith: Theory and Practice in Church‐Related Higher Education Speck, Bruce W. and Carmical, Beth H., Editors, Internationalizing Higher Education: Building Vital Programs on Campuses Marino, Thomas A., Classrooms Without Fear: A Journey to Rediscover the Joy of Teaching     

Are there multiple channels through which we connect with beauty and excellence?

This research answers the question whether there are multiple channels through which we connect with beauty and excellence, and thus contributes to the understanding of the structure of appreciation. Two models were examined: the appreciation of beauty and excellence (ABE) model [Haidt, J., & Keltner, D. (2004). Appreciation of beauty and excellence [awe, wonder, elevation]. In C. Peterson & M.E.P. Seligman (Eds.). Character strengths and virtues (pp. 537–551). New York, NY: Oxford University Press], and the engagement with beauty model [Diessner, R., Solom, R., Frost, N.K., Parsons, L., & Davidson, J. (2008). Engagement with beauty: Appreciating natural, artistic, and moral beauty. The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 142, 303–329]. Study 1 describes the development and initial validation of the ABE Test (ABET), which assesses the types of appreciation included in Haidt and Keltner's (2004) model. In study 2, the ABE subscale of the Values In Action Inventory of Strengths [VIA-IS; Peterson, C., Park, N., & Seligman, M.E.P. (2005). Assessment of character strengths. In G.P. Koocher, J.C. Norcross, & S.S. Hill III (Eds.), Psychologists’ desk reference (Vol. 3, pp. 93–98). New York, NY: Oxford University Press], the Engagement with Beauty Scale (Diessner et al., 2008), and the ABET were included in a structural equation modeling analysis. Results suggested a new model encompassing the two previous ones, and distinguishing between natural beauty, artistic beauty, and non-aesthetic goodness.     

On the goal-dependency of unconscious thought

Recent research has shown that unconscious thought can improve the quality of complex decisions [Dijksterhuis, A. (2004). Think different: The merits of unconscious thought in preference development and decision making. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 586–598; Dijksterhuis, A., Bos, M.W., Nordgren, L.F., & van Baaren, R. B. (2006). On Making the Right Choice: The deliberation-without-attention effect. Science, 311(5763), 1005–1007]. In the present research, we investigate whether unconscious thought is goal-dependent. In four experiments participants were given information pertaining to a decision problem or to an impression formation problem. Subsequently, they were either given time to think consciously about the information or they were distracted for some time, during which they could engage in unconscious thought. Of the participants that were distracted, however, some were given the goal to further process the information, whereas others were not given such a goal. Our experiments clearly show that unconscious thought is goal-dependent. Without a goal, people do not engage in unconscious thought.     

Manipulating the reported age in earliest memories

ABSTRACT

Previous work suggests that the estimated age in adults’ earliest autobiographical memories depends on age information implied by the experimental context [e.g., Kingo, O. S., Bohn, A., & Krøjgaard, P. (2013). Warm-up questions on early childhood memories affect the reported age of earliest memories in late adolescence. Memory, 21(2), 280–284. doi:10.1080/09658211.2012.729598] and that the age in decontextualised snippets of memory is younger than in more complete accounts (i.e., event memories [Bruce, D., Wilcox-O’Hearn, L. A., Robinson, J. A., Phillips-Grant, K., Francis, L., & Smith, M. C. (2005). Fragment memories mark the end of childhood amnesia. Memory & Cognition, 33(4), 567–576. doi:10.3758/BF03195324]). We examined the malleability of the estimated age in undergraduates’ earliest memories and its relation with memory quality. In Study 1 (n?=?141), vignettes referring to events happening at age 2 rendered earlier reported ages than examples referring to age 6. Exploratory analyses suggested that event memories were more sensitive to the age manipulation than memories representing a single, isolated scene (i.e., snapshots). In Study 2 (n?=?162), asking self-relevant and public-event knowledge questions about participants’ preschool years prior to retrieval yielded comparable average estimated ages. Both types of semantic knowledge questions rendered earlier memories than a no-age control task. Overall, the reported age in snapshots was younger than in event memories. However, age-differences between memory types across conditions were not statistically significant. Together, the results add to the growing literature indicating that the average age in earliest memories is not as fixed as previously thought.     

Recent books

Abstract

Niedenthal, P.M., & Kitayama, S. (Eds.). (1994). The heart's eye: Emotional influences in perception and attention. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. ISBN 0–12–410560–2. 289pp. $55.00

MacKinnon, N.J. (1994). Symbolic interactionism as affect control. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. ISBN 0–7914–2042–6 (pbk). 245pp. $19.95.

Cuthbertson-Johnson, B., Franks, D.D., & Doman, M. (Eds.) (1994). The sociology of emotions: An annotated bibliography. New York Garland Publishing. ISBN 0–8240–2321–8. 222pp. $37.00

Flanagan, O., & Rorty, A.O. (Eds.) (1990). Identity_; character and morality: Essays in moral psychology. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 0–262–56074–7 (pbk). 487pp. $18.50.

Mackie, D.M., 8 Hamilton D.L. (Eds.) (1993). Affect, cognition, and stereotyping: interactive processes in group perception. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. ISBN 0–12–46441–0–4. 389pp. $59.95

Dobson, K.S., & Kendall, P.C. (Eds.) (1993). Psychopethology and cognition. San Diego, CA: Academic Press. ISBN 0–12–404175–2. 492pp. $49.95.

Graham, G., & Stephens, G.L. (Eds.) (1994). Philosophical psychopathology. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. ISBN 0–262–07159–2. 332pp. $34.95.     

On the relationship between Karen Horney's tripartite neurotic type theory and personality disorder features

[Horney, 1945] and [Horney, 1950] interpersonal theory [Horney, K. (1945). Our inner conflicts. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co., Inc.; Horney, K. (1950). Neurosis and human growth. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Co., Inc.] postulated that individuals could move toward, move against, and move away from others as manifestations of their character development. In the present studies, it was hypothesized that Horney's tripartite theory might be useful in the elucidation of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders personality disorder features. In the first study, college students (n=198) completed the Coolidge Axis II Inventory [CATI; Coolidge, F. L. (1999), Coolidge Assessment Battery Manual. Port Huron, MI: Sigma Assessment Systems and Coolidge, F. L., & Merwin, M. M. (1992). Reliability and viability of the Coolidge Axis II Inventory: a new inventory for the assessment of personality disorders. Journal of Personality Assessment, 59, 223–238] and Cohen's 1967 35-item test [Cohen, J. B. (1967). An interpersonal orientation to the study of consumer behaviour. Journal of Marketing Research, 4, 270–278] of Horney's three types: Compliant, Aggressive, and Detached. In the second study, another group of college students (n=881) completed the CATI and Coolidge's 57-item test of Horney's three types. Results showed that both scales were reliable, generally similar, and numerous predicted correlational relationships were found. The usefulness of Horney's constructs in the understanding of personality disorders was discussed.     

Functions of Nonsuicidal Self‐Injury Are Differentially Associated with Suicide Ideation and Past Attempts among Childhood Trauma Survivors

Research into factors for suicide has revealed relations between trauma exposure and suicidality (e.g., Bridge, Goldstein, & Brent, 2006 ; Joiner, Sachs‐Ericson, Wingate, Brown, Anestis, & Selby, 2007 ) wherein painful and provocative experiences (e.g., nonsuicidal self‐injury [NSSI]) are an important link (e.g., Van Orden, Witte, Cukrowicz, Braithwaite, Selby, & Joiner, 2010 ; Smith, 2013 ). No prior research has assessed the relationship between functions of NSSI and suicidality among childhood trauma survivors. Participants who endorsed childhood trauma exposure (N = 121; M_age = 18.69, range 18–22) completed measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, NSSI, and suicidality. Multiple regressions assessing whether the four functions of NSSI predicted suicide ideation and past attempts after controlling for PTSD symptom severity found that only social negative reinforcement was associated with SI ( = .304, SE = .243, t = 2.23, p = .028), while only automatic negative reinforcement was associated with past attempts ( = .470, SE = .066, t = 2.25, p = .028). Findings highlight the importance of assessing NSSI functions when assessing suicidality among trauma survivors.     

Book review

A hermeneutic of everyday life

Schrag, C.O. Radical Reflection and the Origin of the Human Sciences. West LaFayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press, 1980, 134 pp., $4.95.

Humanistic psychology: past, present and future

Tageson, C. William. Humanistic Psychology: A Synthesis. Home‐wood, Illinois: The Dorsey Press, 1982, 286 pp.

Recent books by division members

Giorgi, Amedeo (Ed.). Phenomenology and Psychological Research. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1985, 216 pp., $12.50.

Aanstoos, Christopher M. (Ed.). Exploring the Lived World: Readings in Phenomenological Psychology. West Georgia College Studies in the Social Sciences, Volume 23, 1984, 150 pp., $4.00.

Mahrer, Alvin R. Psychotherapeutic Change: An Alternative Approach to Meaning and Measurement. New York: W .W. Norton & Co., 1985, 208 pp., $22.95.

Klee, James. Points of Departure: Aspects of the Tao. South Bend, Indiana: and books, 1982, 325 pp., $8.95.