Introduction to Present Day Psychology
- Author:
Curt tsoenneim. staples, izs. oa.
Any writer of an introduction to psychology is now faced with something of a dilemma. He can discuss fairly intensively certain basic problems and discoveries so as to make their nature clear to the ordinary reader, or he can make an all-embracing survey of the extensive field of modern psychology with illustrative reference to a landmark here and a signpost there. Dr Boenheim has chosen the latter course. The book is based on a sessional course of 24 lectures he delivered to the W.E.A. at Reading University. In these lectures there was hardly a topic that was not touched upon?an Historical Survey, Animal Psychology, Kretchmer’s Theory of Physique and Character, Child Guidance, and Industrial Psychology are only a few of the contents.
Further, these lectures have not been extended into a book; rather does one feel on reading, that the book is a collection of notes for the lectures, slightly embellished and put into literary form.
One would imagine then that this little book would read more like a syllabus for further reading than a self-contained outline of the subject. This is true up to a point. It is indeed a valuable blue-print, and I could think of no better reference to have by one’s side when preparing a course of talks to the W.E.A. or any other body of students. But this is not the limitation of its merits. The material is expressed clearly, simply and yet accurately so that an intelligent reader can get an idea of what contribution psychology is making to modern knowledge and social progress.
For example, in a little less than a page Dr Boenheim discusses the meaning and inter-relation of the Freudian concepts of the Ego, Super-Ego and the Id. This 1 would have believed an impossible task, but nevertheless the essentials are there expressed in the simplest language.
The whole of the various sections dealing with psychopathology and related subjects is praiseworthy. The matter is well illustrated with apt examples and there is much in the way of practical, sensible advice. Sometimes, however, a little unwarranted dogmatism occursOf bedtime stories one reads, ” It is not a good practice to tell children stories before they go to bed; the imaging tion is stimulated and nightmares may result.” This surely depends on the nature of the story. It is most important that a child should feel ” good ” before he goes to bed, and one of the ways of achieving this is the attention of mother with a restful story during those last precious minutes. .
It is a little unfortunate that the very fundamental problems of Instinct and Intelligence are compresse<j into a small chapter which is entitled ” Psychologies Terms The section on ” Intelligence and Tests is excellent as far as it goes. However, I feel that tn reader has to take just a little too much on trust and eve*1 ?n a book of this brevity a little more might have been said about the nature of an Intelligence Test. The section on ” Reflexes and Instincts ” is less satisfactory. J* is essential even to the beginner to distinguish between instinct as inherited behaviour mechanism, and the drive which initiates and sustains it. American psychologists have dropped the word instinct in its second connotation using ” drive ” or ” unlearned motive 1 think this should be mentioned, otherwise the elementary student tends to get involved in much lamentable c?nfusion as he reads more widely.
. Again it is confusing to regard a reflex as something ‘?wer in the scale of development than an instinct, ‘t tends to create the view that an instinctive pattern of behaviour is synthetically produced from a series of reilexes, whereas in fact a reflex is probably a highly specialized reaction which has become differentiated out r?m simpler forms of purposive behaviour. How 0 Put this over in simple language is somewhat of a Puzzle, but either an attempt should be made or the whole subject is better left untouched.
The small chapter on ” History ” is interesting, but 1 ls a pity that the man who did more than anybody 0 make psychology come alive for the intelligent William James, is not mentioned; “great Philosopher, great psychologist, great man”, as tpouga’l described him.
th ?.Wever these are small matters and there is so much nat is excellent in the book. Mention must be made the first-rate bibliography. Not only is it compreensive, but it has most helpful explanatory notes. Jp e is one small but extraordinary slip?Erich Fromm’s fear of Freedom ” has attained the new and surH !Slng nomenclature of ” Freedom from Fear “. If anis is one of those intentional mistakes that conceal ^ish, I am very sure it is one we all desire to make at ls juncture of the world’s history. J.L.G.
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