Psychological Bulletin

Young, P. C.

doi: 10.1037/h0071891pmid: N/A

191 titles are reviewed, mostly from the period 1920-1925 inclusive. There is no agreement on the essential criteria of hypnosis; catalepsy, posthypnotic amnesia, rapport, and dissociative phenomena are the criteria most discussed. Different writers contend that certain functions, such as learning, resistance to fatigue, and time appreciation can be augmented by hypnotism. Stages of hypnosis and technique of inducing hypnosis are discussed by several authors, with little agreement. Opinions differ sharply on the moral dangers of hypnosis; many cases of injury are reported. Several writers describe animal hypnosis and several suggest that the name "hypnosis" be reserved for human subjects. On the question of producing organic effects, the weight of opinion seems to be that only those effects can be produced which could be produced by suggestion in a normal subject. Hypnosis is little used for medical purposes in America, but is used widely in Germany, both for various diagnostic purposes and for treatment in (1) hysterical cases, (2) childbirth, and (3) operations. Estimates of the percentage of people who can be hypnotized vary from 10 to 100. Theories of hypnosis take various forms and receive considerable attention.

Reiser, Oliver L.

doi: 10.1037/h0064515pmid: N/A

Presents invocation of a behaviorist. Thou Cosmic Movement Continuum! we petition thee to lend auditory discriminations to these our laryngeal contractions. Lower the threshold of thy sensory discriminations so that our neuromuscular-glandular activities do not expend themselves as wasted reflexes. May the alterations in the configurations of our pitifully finite electron-proton aggregates find sympathetic resonance in thy visual receptors. Also, amative Movement Continuum, may we never hang suspended in delayed reactions; and may the reciprocal innervation of antagonistic muscles never equilibrate itself so that circular reaction arcs are elicited, or too much dammed up energy accumulate. May we likewise not suffer too many inhibitions or repressions.

Fernberger, Samuel W.

doi: 10.1037/h0067871pmid: N/A

Reviews the book, Die Persönlichkeit des dreijahrigen Kindes by Elsa Köhler (1926). This monograph presents in a long introductory statement, a project of considerable magnitude to be completed, if all goes well, in three parts, the first of which appears in the present volume. It is hoped by the author that the completed task will make possible the formulation of laws governing the mental life of human beings, which will be as clear-cut and definite as the laws found in the exact sciences. Ultimately, it is believed, the completed study will help to reconcile biological and psychological theories and to bridge the gap now existing between biology and psychology. Thus, a scientific psychology, developed along "Structuralist" lines, founded on biological, genetic and psychological facts, may take its place among the exact sciences. The reviewer states that the project as a whole is a very ambitious one, and the further parts of the program will be anticipated with interest.

Fernberger, Samuel W.

doi: 10.1037/h0067043pmid: N/A

Reviews the book, L'Intelligence by B. Bourdon (1926). The author well justifies his prefatory statement that, although our knowledge of intellectual phenomena leaves much to be desired, still a comparison of what we know to-day with older authors shows that important progress has been made. Although well documented, the book is not a compilation of experimental work but a summary of such work as seen by the author. Hence, it is inferior as a reference work to Fröbes' Lehrbuch der experimentette Psychologie, for example. In tone and treatment, the book would be an admirable orientation for a graduate student--were it not in French. For although we can, of course, drive our graduate students to monographs presenting new material, it may be questioned how many will be got to read 385 pages of even such straight-forward French as the author gives us merely for an "orientation." 'Tis a pity, for the book is sane, reasonably catholic, and well organized.

Fernberger, Samuel W.

doi: 10.1037/h0069495pmid: N/A

Reviews the book, The Influence of Nurture Upon Native Differences by Truman Lee Kelley . One of the most important problems in education and psychology is that of the relative influence of nature and nurture in the making of a man. Also, there are few problems more difficult of solution than this one, since it cannot be solved until some way has been found to separate the influence of one from the influence of the other. In the opinion of many, to effect this separation is impossible. The author has attempted the impossible and succeeded. The reviewer read Kelley's study with delight, and, if he may be forgiven for churlishness, with disappointment. The real problems of life and education are not concerned primarily with the minor unevenness in the psychograms of individuals. The burning problem is that of the major differences between individuals and the extent to which nature and nurture have contributed to produce these gross differences. No doubt the author's study illuminates this problem also, but the system of lighting is quite indirect.

Fernberger, Samuel W.

doi: 10.1037/h0066696pmid: N/A

Reviews the book, Crime and Custom in Savage Society by Bronislaw Malinowski . An exceedingly interesting series of observations regarding the natives of the Trobriand Archipelago in northwest Melanesia is developed into a new concept of primitive law and of tribal relations. Until now the anthropologists, sociologists and psychologists have emphasized custom rather than law in primitive societies and, where they have admitted that any law existed, the insistence was that this law was of a criminal nature only. The present author insists that we must come to a new minimum definition of law. The author considers the legal relations of these natives in their economic, religious and marriage relations, etc., in the daily humdrum life and in the unusual situations. Sorcery and voluntary suicide are considered conservative forces and sorcery is seldom abused. Suicide is a means of escape from situations without an issue and has in back of it motives of self-punishment, revenge, rehabilitation and sentimental grievance. In cases of suicide there is always a crime to expiate but there is also a protest against those who have brought this trespass to light. Not only is the material presented in this book exceedingly interesting, but the author presents a new point of view with regard to primitive jurisprudence which, in the opinion of the reviewer, should be extremely fruitful for future research.

Fernberger, Samuel W.

doi: 10.1037/h0069394pmid: N/A

Reviews the book, A New Method of Mental Testing by J. J. Strasheim . The author insists that intelligence testing has reached an impasse because the investigators who have developed the tests have not started out with any adequate definition of intelligence. The present book thus starts out with Spearman's definition of intelligence and the tests are developed from that point of view. The second part of the book is concerned with the part played by intelligence in learning. For this purpose, a bright group of young children are compared with the dull group of children some two to three years older. The author finds that the bright young group exceed the dull older group when the use of relations becomes necessary.