Book reviews

GRAY, J. A. Elements of a Two-Process Theory of Learning. London: Academic Press. 1975. Pp. 423. £6.60.

STOCKBRIDGE, H. C. W. Behaviour and the Physical Environment :Case Studies in Psychology and Ergonomics. London: Batsford. 1975. Pp. 191. £7.50.

CRYSTAL, D. The English Tone of Voice-Essays in Intonation, Prosody and Paralanguage. London: Edward Arnold. 1975. Pp. 198. £3.75.

MCFARLAND, D. J. (Ed.). Motivational Control Systems Analysis. London and New York: Academic Press. 1974. Pp. xii + 523. £11.00.

IVERSEN, S. D. and IVERSEN, L. L. Behavioral Pharmacology. New York and London: Oxford University Press. 1975. Pp. xiv + 310. £2.75.

LEVITT, R. A. Psychopharmacology. A Biological Approach. New York: Wiley. 1975. Pp. x + 502. £9.45.

DOWNS, R. M. and STEA, D. (Eds). Image and Environment. Chicago: Aldine. 1973. (London: Arnold). Pp. xxii + 439. £6.75.

MACCOBY, E. E. and JACKLIN, C. N. The Psychology of Sex Differences. London: Oxford University Press. 1975. Pp. 634. £7.00.

MASSARO, D. W. (Ed.). Understanding Language. New York: Academic Press. 1975. PP. 438. £7.90.

HILGARD, E. R., ATKINSON, R. C., and ATKINSON, R. L. Introduction to Psychology. Sixth Edition. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 1975. Pp. 658. £8.10.     

Electrographic correlates of lateral asymmetry in the processing of verbal and nonverbal auditory stimuli

A veraged evoked potentials (AEP) to verbal (digits) and nonverbal (clicks) auditory stimuli were recorded from left and right temporal leads in ten right-handed Ss. With dichotic presentation, there was no significant difference in accuracy of report of the clicks heard in each ear, but significantly more digits were identified correctly from the right ear than from the left. Dichotic verbal stimuli elicited AEP whose early components were of greater amplitude, and whose later components were of shorter latency, from the left hemisphere than from the right. No consistent latency or amplitude differences were observed between AEP from the left and right hemispheres when clicks were presented dichotically.     

Size and distance judgements in the vertical plane under water

Summary Experiments with subjects of varied diving experience in clear water of Malta showed that divers tend to underestimate the distance of the surface more than that of the seabed. The underestimation is most marked in clear empty water, but disappears with practice. Objects viewed vertically downwards tend to be correctly estimated in size; but this is an underestimate in comparison with the overestimation which normally occurs with horizontal viewing. These effects are similar to the moon illusion, but are probably due to visual rather than proprioceptive changes in the vertical plane.

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Résumé Des expériences faites avec des sujets possédant divers niveaux d'expérience de plonger en eau claire devant Malte ont montré ques les plongeurs ont tendance à sous-estimer léloignement de la surface plus que du fond de la mer. Cette sous-estimation se révèle la plus marquée en eau claire et vide, mais disparaît avec l'habitude. Des objets regardés verticalement en bas ont tendance à être estimés justement en grandeur; mais c'est là une sous-estimation en comparaison avec la surestimation qui se produit quand ils sont regardés horizontalement. Ces effets sont semblables à la lune-illusion, mais ont probablement pour cause des changements plutôt visuels que proprioceptifs dans le plan vertical.

     

A factor analysis of women's measurements taken for garment and pattern construction

In order to facilitate garment and pattern construction, a research which involved taking a minimum of fifty-five measurements on several thousand women was conducted by the Bureau of Home Economics. Partial correlations with age held constant were computed for a representative group of 4,128 of the women. The correlations among twenty-nine of these variables served as the basis of the present study. By a combination of the multiple-group and the centroid method of factoring, five factors were extracted. After twenty-nine rotations, simple structure was evident, and the factors were interpreted as bone length, size of joints, circumference below the waist, circumference of extremities, and circumference above the waist. The intercorrelations of the primaries were computed, and two second-order factors were extracted. One of these seems to be primarily related to the growth of fatty tissue and the other to the development of the bones.The author wishes to express her appreciation to Professor L. L. Thurstone and to the members of the Psychometric Laboratory Staff for advice relative to this study.     

Need norm, demographic influence, social role, and justice judgment

The relationships of distributive justice norms (equity, equality, and need), social role, and demographic variables to judgments of fairness, satisfaction, employer obligation, and employee entitlement were investigated. Subjects functioning as recipient's co-workers, allocators, or observers responded to a need-based salary allocation situation. Multiple regression analyses showed that endorsement of the need norm was most important. Justice norms and demographics each predicted significant unique variance in all of the criterion judgments. Social role yielded significant differences for fairness judgments. The findings indicate that where a situation increases the salience of nonequity factors other justice norms, such as recipient needs, may become more important than the equity norm. The results also suggest the importance of respondent social roles and demographic characteristics in the study of justice judgments.     

Genetic Counseling, Reproductive Behavior and Future Reproductive Intentions of People with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1)

Neurofibromatosis type 1(NF1) is a complex and variable inherited disorder. The complexity and variability present particular difficulty for genetic counseling. Thirty-three people with NF1 of reproductive age were interviewed about their experience of genetic counseling, their past reproductive behavior and future intentions. One third reported having had no genetic counseling or not having it until after their first child. In part, this may be due to delay in diagnosis but also indicates poor access to genetic services. Only three people had ever been offered prenatal genetic testing and only one had accepted. Although testing is still technically difficult, the greatest deterrent to uptake of prenatal testing for NF1 is the variability of the disorder. However, six of the 17 people planning future pregnancies would want a test with a view to termination if necessary. Others would welcome testing in order to be prepared but not to terminate. We discuss some of the factors which influence reproductive decision making for people with NF1 and some of the difficulties in genetic counseling in such a variable and complex disorder.     

Grounding agency in depth: The implications of Merleau-Ponty's thought for the politics of feminism

While poststructuralist feminist theorists have clarified our understanding of the gendered subject as produced through a matrix of language, culture, and psycho-sexual affects, they have found agency difficult to ground. I argue that this is because in these theories the body has served primarily as an inscribed surface. In response to this surface body, particular to this age, I have turned to Merleau-Ponty's concept of depth which allows us to theorize the agency crucial to feminist politics. While the poststructuralists' rejection of depth is largely due to its roots in Cartesian rationality, depth is much more than this. Rather than allowing for the impossibility of political action, depth means that as bodily moving and acting subjects we are part of Being, and thus part of the questions raised in this age, even if it is a mark of this age that this tends to be forgotten.