I copy you as I believe you know about our culture: Combining imitation and selective trust literatures

Empirical findings and theorizations of both imitation and selective trust offer different views on and interpretations of children's social learning mechanisms. The imitation literature provides ample documentation of children's behavioural patterns in the acquisition of socially appropriate norms and practices. The selective trust literature provides insights into children's cognitive processes of choosing credible informants and what information to learn in future interactions. In this paper, we place together findings from both fields and note that they share analogically similar theoretical underpinnings and offer explanations that are complementary to each other. We contend that children's imitative tendency may be due to their selection of in-group members as cultural experts, who serve as reliable sources of conventional information. Moving forward, we note the importance of evaluating individual differences and cultural factors to provide a more holistic understanding of universality and variation in children's social learning mechanisms.     

Book reviews

Déclarations Communes Islamo‐Chrétiennes 1954–1995: textes originaux et traductions françaises. Choix de textes présentés par: Juliette Nasri Haddad, sous la direction de: Augustin Dupré la Tour et Dr Hisham Nashabé, 1997. Beyrouth, Dar el‐Machreq, Distribution Librairie Orientale, B.P. 1986, Beyrouth, Liban. 376 pp. + 14 large charts, hb. np., ISBN 2 7214 5008 5

Ultimate Visions: reflections on the religions we choose. Martin Forward (Ed.), 1995. Oxford, One World Publications. 208 pp., pb. $14.95, ISBN 1 85168 100 0

Cross and Crescent: responding to the challenge of Islam. Colin Chapman, 1995. Leicester, Inter‐Varsity Press. 364 pp., pb. £9.99, ISBN 0 85110 992 6

Louis Massignon: the crucible of compassion. Mary Louise Gude, 1996. Notre Dame and London, University of Notre Dame Press. 283 pp., hb. np., ISBN 0 268 031308 X

The New Islamic Dynasties: a chronological and genealogical manual. C. E. Bosworth, 1996. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press. 389 pp., hb. £49.50, ISBN 0 7486 0684 X

A Short Introduction to Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism. Majid Fakhry, 1997. Oxford, Oneworld. 151 pp., pb. £8.99, $13.95, ISBN 1 85168 134 5

Religion and Politics under the Early ‘Abbasids: the emergence of the proto‐Sunni elite. Muhammad Qasim Zaman, 1997. Leiden, Brill. 232 pp., hb, Nlg 137.00, US$85.75, ISBN 90 04 10678 2

NichtMuslimische Untertanen im Islam: Grundlage, Ideologie und Praxis der Politik frühislamischer Herrscher gegenüber ihren nichtMuslimischen Untertanen mit besonderem Blick auf die Dynastie der Abbasiden (749–1248). (Studies in Oriental Religions, 34). Wolfgang Kallfelz, 1995. Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz Verlag. 180 pp., pb. np., ISBN 3 447 03720 2

Hierarchy and Egalitarianism in Islamic Thought. Louise Marlow, 1997. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. 194 pp., hb. np., ISBN 0 521 56430 1

The Dual Nature of Islamic Fundamentalism. Johannes J. G. Jansen, 1997. Ithaca, Cornell University Press/London, Hurst & Co.. 197 pp., hb. £25.00, ISBN 1 85065 274 0

Islam and Democracy. John Esposito & John Voll, 1996. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 232 pp., pb. £16.99, ISBN 0 19 510816 7

New World Order: Western fundamentalism in action. S. M. KORESHI, 199?. Islamabad, Institute of Policy Studies and Islamabad Publications. 306 pp., hb. Rs.250.00, ISBN 969 448 039 6

Das Eigene als Fremdes: Chancen und Bedingungen des christlich‐islamischen Dialogs. Ralf Geisler, 1997. Hannover, Lutherisches Verlagshaus. 104 pp., hb. DM24.80, ISBN 3 7859 0741 9

Making Muslim Space in North America and Europe. Barbara D. Metcalf (Ed.), 1996. Berkeley and London, University of California Press. xix + 264 pp., hb. $50, £40, ISBN 0 520 20403 4; pb. $20, £15, ISBN 0 520 20404 2

Allah in the West: Islamic movements in America and Europe. GILLES KEPEL, 1997. Oxford, Polity Press. 273 pp., pb. £13.95, ISBN 0 7156 1558 9

An Occasion For War: civil conflict in Lebanon and Damascus in 1860. Leila Tarazi Fawaz, 1994. Berkeley, University of California Press. 302 pp., pb. $17.00, ISBN 0 520 20086 1

Master and Disciple: the cultural foundations of Moroccan authoritarianism. Abdellah Hammoudi, 1997. Chicago & London, Chicago University Press. 195 pp., hb. £30.50, ISBN 0 226 31527 4; pb. £11.92, ISBN 0 226 31528 2

Islam in South‐East Asia: a study for Christians. Robert A. Hunt, 1997. New York, General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church; Petaling Jaya [Malaysia], Methodist Church of Malaysia. vii+ 172 pp., pb. np., ISBN 1 890569 04 6     

When Compassion is Making It Worse: Social Dynamics of Tabooing Victims of Child Sexual Abuse

The paper explores the social dynamics of tabooing, using sexual abuse of children as an example. Some social categories are problematic to embrace, because they entail socially problematic category bound activities in an emotional context of guilt and shame. This theoretical paper shows how a victim of sexual abuse as a child may suffer from two separate offenses, a sexual and a social; one caused by actions of the offender, one caused by actions of intended helpers. By ascribing an identity of ‘incest victim’ or ‘victim of child sexual abuse’ to a person, the taboo act becomes linked to the person. This may be an inescapable ascribed identity for the person, leading her/him to be subject of both sexual and social offenses. As a consequence, potential ‘victims’ may have troubled affiliation with such identity casting, and may fight a future tabooed role by not reporting tabooed abusive actions, hence not receiving the help needed to recover.     

Counselling psychology in the United Kingdom

Counselling psychology within the UK has grown over the last three decades, adapting to many changes in the field of applied psychology, whilst remaining true to its core values and humanistic origins. The identity of counselling psychology is strongly rooted in a relational stance and applied psychology, where attention to psychological formulation is given to improve psychological functioning and well-being. This article outlines a brief history of counselling psychology in the UK, the training process, credentialing and looks at some important challenges and future directions for counselling psychology in the UK. A proportion of the members from the British Psychological Society’s division of counselling psychology (DCoP, N = 148) took part in the study. Participants provided demographic, training, employment, workplace and career pathway information obtained through an online questionnaire distributed to all DCoP members. On the whole, DCoP members are working in a variety of areas within the UK and the findings of this article contribute to the international study comparing counselling psychology across the globe.     

Book reviews

Pluralism and the Religions: the theological and political dimensions. John D'Arcy May (Ed.), 1998. London, Cassell. 99 pp., hb. n.p., ISBN 0 304 70258 7, pb. n.p., ISBN 0 304 70259 5

Islam: a concise introduction. Neal Robinson, 1999. London, Curzon. 256pp., hb. £40.00, ISBN 0 7007 1103 1; pb. £14.99, ISBN 0 7007 11007

Foundations of Islam: the making of a world faith. Benjamin Walker, 1998. London, Peter Owen. 384pp., hb. £30.00, ISBN 0 7206 1038 9

A Short History of the Isma'ilis: traditions of a Muslim community. Farhad Daftary, 1998. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press. vii + 248pp., hb. n.p., ISBN 0 7486 0904 0; pb. £14.95, ISBN 0 7486 0687 4

Blick in die Zukunft: Festschrift für Smail Bali?. Ludwig Hagemann & Adel Theodor Khoury (Eds), 1998. Religionswissenschaftliche Studien 45. Würzburg, Echter Verlag/Altenberge, Oros Verlag. viii + 199, pp., pb. n.p., ISBN 3 429 02029 8/3 89375 161 0

Islam in Britain, 1558–1685. Nabil Matar, 1998. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. xi + 226 pp., hb. £35.00, ISBN 0 521 62233 6

Religions‐ og kulturm?de: Jens Enevoldsens virke blandt pathanerne 1958–1972. K. Bredvig, K.S. Chistensen & L. Hedelund (Eds), 1998. Herning, Denmark, Poul Kristensens Forlag. 272 pp. (+ 16 pp. in Pashto), hb. Dkr. 258.00, ISBN 870 7851 090 2

Arabs and the West: mutual images. J?rgen Nielsen & Sami Khasawnih (Eds), 1998. Amman, Jordan University Press. 161 pp. (English) & 160 pp. (Arabic), pb. £15.00,. reg. no. National Library (Jordan): 1505/9/1998

Between Cultures: continuity and change in the lives of young Asians. Muhammad Anwar, 1998. London, Routledge. 212pp., pb. £14.99, ISBN 0 415 04648 3; hb. £47.50, ISBN 0 415 04647 5

The Taliban: war, religion and the new order in Afghanistan. Peter Marsden, 1998. London/New York; Zed Books; Karachi, Oxford University Press.. + 162 pp, hb. £36.95, ISBN 1 8564 9 521 3; pb. £ 12.95, ISBN 1 8564 9522 1     

EARLY EXPERIENCE AND EXPLORATIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE WHITE RAT

Eleven rats were reared in a cage with moving figures. Eleven litter mates were reared in a similar cage but without figures. The rats from the more complex environment showed less locomotor activity in a checkerboard maze and, in a two-lever test box, higher preference for the lever which produced complex visual stimuli. It is proposed that rearing in stimulus poverty increases locomotor activity and reduces curiosity.     

Tone-on-tone binaural masking with an antiphasic masker

One pure tone (500 Hz) was used to mask another pure tone of the same frequency and duration. The signal and masker were presented in three binaural stimulus configurations, Mo-So, Mo-Sπ, and Mπ -So. The Mo-So condition is a diotic condition; the Mo-Sβ condition is a dichotic condition in which the masker is homophasic and the signal is antiphasic; and the Mπ-So condition is a dichotic condition in which the masker is antiphasic and the signal homophasic. The signal-to-masker ratio required for detection was measured in each condition as a function of the signal-plus-masker phase angle, α. The data showed that the difference in detection between the Mo-Sπ and Mπ-So conditions varied between 0 dB when α=0 deg and 11 dB when α=90 deg. The difference in detection between the Mo-Sπ and Mπ-So conditions is due to the Os’ sensitivities to the interaural phase difference present in the Mo-Sπ and Mπ-So conditions. The results are similar to those obtained in investigations involving lateralization. The difference between detection in either the Mo-Sπ or Mπ-So condition and that in the Mo-So condition (the MLD) was variable due to differences in the Os’ sensitivities in the Mo-So condition.