Book reviews

Contemporary psychology Experiments: Adaptations for Laboratory. By John Jung and Joan Bailey. London and New York: Wiley. 1966 Pp. xiii + 155. 238.

A Textbook of Psychology. Second Edition. By D.O. Hebb. Philadelphia and London: W.B. Saunders & Co. 1966. Pp xvi + 353. Pound2.

Behaviour Therapy Techniques: A Guide to the Treatment of Neuroses. By Josweph Wolpe and Arnold A. Lazarus. Oxford and London: Pergamon Press. 1966. Pp. ix + 198. 21s.

Motivated Learning: a Developmental Study from Birth to the Senium. By Miriam E. Hebron. London: Methuen. Methuen's Manuals of Modern Psychology. 1966. Pp. 264. 35s.

Human Brain and Psychological Processes. By A.R. Luria. Translated by Basil Haigh. New York and London: Harper & Row. 1966. Pp.xix + 587. £5 $14.50.

Higher Cortical Functions in Man. By A. R. Luria. Translated by Basil Haigh. London: Tavistock Publications. 1966. Pp xvi + 513. £6 6s.

Productive Thinking. By Max Wertheimer. Edited by Michael Wertheimer. social science Paperbacks. London: Tavistock Publications. 1966. Pp xvi + 302. 30s.

Problem Solving: Research Method and Theory. Edited by B. Kleinmuntz. London and New York: Wiley. 1966. Pp. ix + 406. 53s.

Human Conceptual Behavior. By Lyle E. Bourne, Jr. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 1966. Pp. viii + 139. $2.50.

Attraction and Hostility. An Experimental Analysis of Interpersonal and Self Evaluation. By albert Peptone. London: Tavistock Publications. 1966. Pp. ix + 234. 30s.

Ability Structure and subgroups in Mental Retardation. By John Clausen. London: Macmillan. Washington: spartan Books. 1966. Pp. viii + 208. 80s.

The Biologiv Basis of Schizophrenia. By Jon L. Karlsson. springfield. Illionois: Thomas. 1966. Pp.xi + 77. $4.75.

Psychology for Psychiatrists. By C.G. Costello. London: Commonwealth and Unversity Library, pergamon Press. 1966. Pp. 328. 25s.

Science and theory of Psychoanalysis. Edited by Irwin G. Sarason. London: Van Nostrand. Insight Book No. 26. 1965. Pp xiii + 205. 14s.

Aspects of Learning and Memory. Edited by D. Richter. London: heinemann. 1966. Pp. x + 185. 35s.

The Spiral After-Effect. By Harry C. Holland. London: pergamon. 1965. Pp.xii + 99. 35s.

Dynamics of Response. By J.M. Notterman and D.E. Mintz. London and New York: Wiley. 1965. Pp. 277. 70s.

Contrary Imaginations: A Psychological Study of the English Schoolboy. By Liam Hudson. London: Methuen. 1966. Pp. vii + 181. 25s.

The Structure of Association in Language and Thought. By James A. Deese. London: Oxford University Press: Johns Hopkin Press. 1960. Pp. xiii + 216. 52s.

A source Book in the History of Psychology. Edited by R. J. Herrnstein and E.J. boring. London: Oxford University Press; Harvard University Press. 1965. Pp. xvii + 636. £5.     

Concurrent measurement of heart rate and instrumental avoidance behavior in the Rhesus monkey

A graphical method has been developed for the concurrent recording of heart beats and lever responses during behavioral experiments. The EKG signal fed into any DC amplifier goes to a fixed level trigger circuit and relay driver with its own power supply. The signal from this drives any standard cumulative recorder. Lever response rates are recorded concurrently on an additional cumulative recorder using the same paper speed.     

EMPLOYMENT AND ROLE SATISFACTION

A path analytic model was used to examine the impact of three domains of life satisfaction and three employment-related variables on general well-being in a sample of 1,145 Army wives. The life domains included marital, financial, and role satisfaction. The employment-related variables included: (a) time spent employed (none, part, or full); (b) role fit; and (c) satisfaction with overall career development prospects. The employment-related variables were hypothesized to impact on general well-being both directly and indirectly through their relationship to role satisfaction. Time spent employed and role fit were found to be significantly related to role satisfaction, which in turn, was significantly related to general well-being. One variable–satisfaction with overall career development prospects–had a significant direct impact on general well-being.     

Suitability of the IBM XT,AT, and PS/2 keyboard,mouse, and game port as response devices in reaction time paradigms

The IBM PC keyboard is a convenient response panel for subjects in a reaction time task when the stimuli are presented on the same machine. However, there is a mean delay of about 10 msec and a random error of ±7.5 msec (±5 msec on the AT or PS/2). Our analyses show that for typical single response experimental situations, this added variance is acceptable. With mouse buttons, timing resulted in a delay of 31 ±2 msec if the mouse ball was steady but 45 ±15 msec if it was moving, and a 25-msec refractory period before a second response could be detected. With keys connected to the game port, timing was accurate to 1 msec. For timing the interval between two nearly simultaneous responses, only the game port method is recommended. Any research application should provide an external check on reaction timing accuracy and should correct any mean error.     

Increase in mastery levels using a computer-based tutorial/simulation in experimental psychology

A computer program was written in PCPilot to teach a unit in basic concepts in experimental design. The graphics-based program includes both tutorials and simulations. The students who used the program had significantly higher test scores than those in another class who did not; they reported that they enjoyed learning to use the program.     

Resilient children: individual differences in developmental outcome of children born to drug abusers.

Since 1977, we have been following the neurobehavioral development of two groups of children: a group born to women on methadone maintenance and a drug-free comparison group. This study used the data on the children evaluated at 36 months of age to determine whether distinct patterns of developmental outcome can be identified, and which medical, familial, or environmental characteristics are associated with developmental differences. The children were clustered on four measures at 36 months: head circumference percentile, Merrill-Palmer Scale score, neurological evaluation, and referrals for developmental problems. Three distinct clusters emerged, with methadone children disproportionately frequent in Cluster 3, the group showing the poorest development. Comparisons of the clusters on a wide range of variables revealed consistent differences between Cluster 1 and Cluster 3 children in maternal responsiveness and incidence of neglect and family violence. These findings indicate that distinct developmental patterns do occur within this predominantly lower-class ghetto population; further, that children born to methadone-maintained women are more likely to show poor development. However, when the environment provides nurturance and stability, methadone children can show resilience and develop well.     

A ToolBook computer program to develop course objectives and assessment measures

College courses are generally developed because of current fashion in the field and/or student and faculty interest in some topic without reference to departmental or programmatic goals. Current calls and needs for accountability in higher education demand a more organized approach. A computer program, ToolBook 1.53, which provides information to the instructor about systematic development of courses and assessment of student outcomes, is described. The program supports the construction of outcome-oriented learning objectives and corresponding assessment techniques. Instructors who used this program to learn about how to construct such objectives showed an increase in knowledge and evaluated the program positively. Using the information provided in this program leads to an integrated approach to course design and development in which course objectives are linked to the college mission statement through departmental or program objectives.     

Classical discrimination conditioning of the rabbit's eyelid response using pontine stimulation as a conditioned stimulus

Classical discrimination conditioning of the nictitating membrane/eyelid response was performed on seven rabbits using stimulation of the pontine nuclei or middle cerebellar peduncle as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and an air puff as the unconditioned stimulus (US). The rabbits learned to discriminate between a CS paired with a US and delivered to one pontine nucleus (the CS+) and a CS presented alone and delivered to the contralateral pontine nucleus (the CS-). Subsequent reversal of the discrimination was also achieved when the CS+ and CS- stimulation sites were interchanged. The results are interpreted as support for the idea that essential plasticity for classical eyelid conditioning occurs efferent to the pontine nuclei, possibly in regions of the cerebellum.