Motivation of Behaviour
- Author:
Paul Thomas
Young, Prot. or Psychology in the University of Illinois. Chapman and Hall. 20/-.
In the preface to his book the author states that he has ” been guided by a central purpose rather than by any fixed and pre-determined point of view,” and later that this ” central problem in the study of motivation is to account for the determination of behaviour in all its aspects … to explain how it is caused and how it is regulated.”
Professor Young has set himself a tremendous task. In order to accomplish it, he has, apart from breaking new ground, covered a very wide range both in theoretical and experimental psychology, particularly of the past ten yearsHe has endeavoured with no little skill to justify his thesis that in order scientifically to answer the question, ” Why? ” it is necessary not merely to give a description and attempt an explanation of purposive behaviour, but also to employ some method whereby it may he measured, and further to supplement both aspects by a genetic account of the development of motives.
In his discussion of this branch, which he terms Energetics of Activity, or Biomechanics’ Professor Young has amply illustrated his theories by reference to numerous experiments* both his own and those of others; and has concisely, but none the less critically, estimated the importance of their results as bearing upon 0lS problem.,
Not only does he illustrate and refer to expe*1’ ments and methods both very recent and as well’ known as, for example, those of Pavlov, bu what seems particularly apt in a treatise on Energetics, he constantly suggests avenues further research.
Equally important are his extraordinarily faj bibliographies at the end of each chapter, which is one of the really valuable features of the bookHe does not merely append a list of books and authors, but adds in most cases a critical note of its bias, relative value and specific importThis is especially valuable to students and others whose knowledge of the field is necessarily lesS extensive than that of Professor Young. To such persons the set of exercises and questions based on each chapter should also prove useful. In spite of the wideness of the subject and the soundness of its scientific and factual approach, the manner is not involved, and the book remains comparatively easy reading without incurring the slightest risk of being dubbed ” popular ” in the less desirable sense of the term.
Dunsdon.
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