Book Reviews

J oseph B. W heelwright (Ed): The analytic process: aims, analysis, training
A. A lvarez : The savage god
B ernard A aronson and H umphrey O smond (Eds.): Psychedelics: the uses and implications of hallucinogenic drugs
E rnst B ernhard : Mitobiografia
B arbara H annah : Striving towards wholeness
C raig R. E isendraht : The unifying moment: the psychological philosophy of William James and Alfred North Whitehead     

Recent Publications In Journals

[Authors are asked to send off-prints of articles in learned journals on subjects relevant to this section. Offprints of articles in books on other publications will not be reported on here since they constiute part of a volume that can be made the subject-matter of a review.]
D ieckmann , H. (Berlin): 'Das Lieblingsmärchen der Kindheit als therapeutisher Faktor in der Analyse' ('The favourite fairy-tale of childhood as a therapeutic factor in analysis')
D ieckmann , H. (Berlin). 'Über das Bewusstsein der Frau im 20. Jahrhundert' ('On women's consciousness in the twentieth centuary')
Dr L orenzo , S ilvia (Rome). 'Il metodo dell'immaginazione attiva nella pratica della Psicologia Analitica' ('Active imagination as a method in the practice of analytical psychology')
F ierz , H. (Zürich). 'Utbildningen i psykoterapi i Schweiz' ('Training in psychotherapy in Switzerland')
M arshak , M. D. (London). 'A psychological approach to mythology II.'
S cott , R. D. and A insworth , P. L. (London). 'The Shadow of the ancestor: a historical factor in the transmission of schizophrenia'
B iäsch , H ans : 'Die Psychologie innerhalb der Vielfalt der Wissenschaften' ('The place of psychology within the multiplicity of the sciences')
K erényi , K arl : 'Hegel e gli Dei della Grecia' ('Hegel and the Greek gods')
Z iegler , A lfred J.: 'Die abendländische Aggressivität' ('Aggression in Western countries')     

A HULLIAN CONSTANT AS AN INDEX OF INTELLIGENCE: TWO EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS

Following Clark Hull, it is widely considered that the asymptote of the learning curve represents motivational factors, but that rate of approach to asymptote ('i') represents associational factors. The suggestion that i may be a measure of intelligence was tested empirically in two studies. An initial exploratory study yielded a positive correlation between i and IQ. A more rigorous replication did not. The results are discussed briefly.     

Psychoanalytically oriented short-term groups for outpatients: Unsettled issues

The psychoanalytic approach to short-term group therapy for outpatients has been less prevalent than other approaches. Unsettled issues associated with this approach concern the feasibility of carrying out psychoanalytic work on an ongoing basis, patient selection, group composition, patient preparation, therapist technique, and cotherapy. Recent literature relevant to a conceptual consideration of these issues is reviewed. A vignette from a recent therapy group is presented as part of a clinical consideration of the issues. In addition, practical suggestions for conducting such groups are provided.This article was derived from a paper presented at the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Canadian Group Psychotherapy Association, October 16, 1986, Mont Tremblant, Canada.     

“Higher” and “lower”: Comparative and categorical interpretations by children

Three-, four-, and five-year-old children's categorical and comparative understanding of high and low were examined in two experiments. Categorical knowledge was assessed by presenting subjects with a single object at varying heights (from 0 to five feet above the ground), and asking if the object was high or low. Comparative understanding of the terms was assessed by showing children two objects at a time and asking which was higher or lower. We observed two patterns of performance in children's categorical treatments: younger children in particular defined disjoint categories for high and low such that they only labelled the extreme heights as high or low, and maintained that middle heights were neither high nor low. Older children defined either-or categories such that all heights were labelled either high or low. We also found that children who defined either-or categories made correct comparative judgments across the entire range of variation whereas children who defined disjoint categories could only judge which of two objects was higher if the objects were not low (at 0 and 1 feet) and which of the objects was lower if the objects were not high (at 4 and 5 feet). The results were interpreted as reflecting a lack of appreciation that the terms are interdefined as negations of each other, and were discussed in terms of the similar semantic-congruity effects found in adults.     

A comparative analysis of two community stressors' long-term mental health effects

The investigation directly compared the long-term mental health consequences of two community-wide stressors, the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear accident and widespread unemployment due to layoff, in demographically comparable samples of women. Results showed a marked degree of similarity in the stressors' effects: Levels of subclinical symptomatology were elevated to similar degrees in each sample during the year following stressor onset, and symptom levels remained elevated in each sample 2 to 3 1/2 years later. Moreover, variables identified as predictors of enduring psychological distress were virtually identical for the two samples. Additional analyses revealed that the mental health status of unemployed husbands mediated the negative psychological effects of layoff on their wives. Implications of these results for understanding the long-term consequences of exposure to community-wide stress are discussed.