70Reviews
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
JAMES HANSELL AND LISA DAMOUR
New Jersey, US: Wiley and Sons, 2005 633 pages (£100.89 hardback)
ISBN: 047138982X There are many introductory abnormal psychology books available and Hansell and Damour’s text is a useful addition to this genre. There are over 500 pages packed with up-to-date information within its hardback cover, covering all the major areas of psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, personality disorders,
and developmental abnormalities. It has a colourful and almost artistic appearance with keys to symbols and major concepts inside its cover. So with many alternative texts available, how does this edition differentiate itself and make it a worthwhile addition to the psychologist’s bookshelf or as a recommendation to students? To begin with, the philosophy of this book is concerned with what the authors describe as the ‘core concepts approach’ – namely six integral areas of abnormal psychology. Subsequently, the text is further organised according to how we de fi ne, classify, and explain and treat abnormality. As an introductory text the delivery is both broad and objective. Speci fi cally, this core concepts approach relates to such notions as the importance of context in understanding behaviours, (i.e., what may appear abnormal in one situation may appear quite rational in another). Similarly cultural de fi nitions of abnormality also have a signi fi cant bearing upon what is defi ned as individually idiosyncratic. The sometimes-controversial categorisation systems proposed in the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) are also afforded noteworthy explanation and interpretation. Indeed part of the core concepts approach is to acknowledge the limitations of labels in defi ning and treating mental disorders (the inside back cover has a summary chart of these classi fi cations). This oversimpli fi cation is addressed in Chapter 4, where an historical account of modern classi fi cations of mental disorder precedes a critique of the DSM and personality measures such as the MMPI. The evolution of these instruments and how they are measured, and more recent developments such as brain imaging provide the reader with a clear understanding of the basis and limitations of the various terms that are expanded upon in the later chapters. Along with the standard sections on the major disorders, the authors have not avoided confronting some contemporary and sometimes controversial diagnoses of behaviour. An entire chapter for instance is devoted to eating and weight disorders, where a useful discussion on the delicate continuum between normal and abnormal consumption is presented. Similarly, the changing societal standards relating to body image are also effectively debated with reference to well-known concepts such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Furthermore, newly de fi ned diagnoses such as shaken baby syndrome are also included. Naturally, the discussion of many syndromes is basic and concise but comprehensive enough to detail the majority of the terms of reference, from the major disorders to particular phobias.
The authors include an extensive array of case studies to highlight the concepts they are de fi ning and the chapter on personality disorders for instance, includes many references to real and fi ctional characters as archetypal models of these syndromes. For example, accompanying the case study of ‘Lou’, who is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, is reference to the fi lm Fatal Attraction , where the lead actress played by Glenn Close is presumed to be also suffering from the same complaint. This approach gives the reader a contemporary perspective and additional illustration for such diagnoses. In addition to the case studies there are DSM categories, symptoms, and prevalences, neatly presented in text boxes. Along with the descriptions there follow some explanations on viable treatments for patients. These are perhaps the least commendable parts of the book as they can appear overly basic, but nevertheless address the differing causal explanations of most of the disorders (e.g. biological, socio-cultural). This arrangement easily identi fi es the target audience of this book, namely the undergraduate who seeks a basic understanding of the core concepts and issues of abnormal psychology. Each chapter concludes with a case discussion(s) and a useful summary of the main points. The text could equally provide a useful reference to recreational readers through its accessible content, but is likely to be overly simplistic to practitioners in the fi eld. Nevertheless, it is comprehensive but equally important, up-to-date. References to current historical events such as September 11th give a useful context to many of the concepts that are discussed. Additional features are the useful glossary, an extensive list of references and both subject and author indexes. One unusual and aesthetically pleasing feature of this text is the use of numerous illustrations by famous artists. It is common to see Edvard Munch’s The Scream in abnormal psychology literature, but Hansell and Damour have gone to great lengths to accumulate some imposing illustrations to serve as a backdrop to the start of each chapter. For example, the chapter on substance misuse begins with a graf fi ti-inspired painting by Jean-
Michel Basquiat; his own career was tragically cut short by a heroin overdose. Each picture is followed by a brief vignette of the artist and is a nice touch that gives some context to the process of interpretation. REVIEWS 71Overall, Hansell and Damour have produced an excellent addition to the abnormal psychology reference section and would be a worthy addition to any undergraduate’s bookshelf. The text is also accessible enough for A-level students and interested everyday readers. For instructors wanting to recommend an introductory reading, the addition of a comprehensive array of additional resources are available, from DVD sequences to support lectures through to full PowerPoint presentations. Supplementary test questions and answer texts are also available for both teachers and students, formatted to correspond with the chapter structure of the text. The main strengths of the book lie in its well-structured format accompanied by many illustrative case studies that serve to highlight the concepts under examination. The continually developing fi eld of abnormal psychology requires reliance on up-to-
date research and statistics, and this text provides this in an easily accessible and enjoyable style. Reviewed by Gareth Norris, Department of Psychology, Liverpool Hope University College
APPLYING SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
JOHN KREMER , NOEL SHEEHY , JACQUELINE REILLY , KAREN TREW AND ORLA MULDOON (EDS.)
Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003
245 pages (£13.99 paperback)
ISBN: 0333776178 The authors present nine substantial chapters on the Environment , Work , Health and Illness , Peace and Confl ict, Communication and the Media , Education , Economic Life and Consumerism , Crime and the Law and Sport and Exercise . These chapters are encased by an introduction discussing social
psychology’s past and current priorities and a fi nal chapter which presents each contributor’s SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) of the sub-discipline at present. Chapters follow a systematic format beginning with a ‘Once upon a time…’ vignette, based upon a relevant scenario associated with the subject of the chapter. The chapters are then commonly structured with an introduction, a description of the topic’s history and development followed by contemporary priorities. A third section covering concepts, models and theories outlines the most important theoretical developments. This leads on to a section on practical issues and fi nishes with the way forward, which speculates on future trends.
The problem with the structured chapter format is that while it gives the reader familiarity and predictability, it does not always allow for logical fl ow or depth of processing of the topic. Level 2 rather than Level 3 social psychology students would probably fi nd the structured format more useful in this sense. The ‘Once upon a time…’ vignette works well in some cases and not so well in others. Some students might also fi nd this a bit disconcerting as it has tones of parental bedtime storytelling, not of independent learning. However, for academic tutors the short questions, class activities and further reading at the end of chapters may prove to be valuable teaching aids and certainly re fl ect the applied nature of social psychology, encouraging students to process the material and think through the nature of the debates presented. Class activities, in the main, are well suited to students from a range of backgrounds and ages and provide solid seminar activities for students from Levels 1, 2 or 3, and relevant teaching support and refl ective commentaries.
While overviews and informed commentaries of individual topic areas within social psychology are useful, the chapters vary in terms of readability. There is some degree of overlap on the chapters on ‘Work’ and ‘Economic Life and Consumerism’ and some student readers might fi nd it diffi cult to distinguish between the two. For example, the chapter on Economic Life and Consumerism includes a substantial section on ‘work’ and a small section on ‘women and work’. At the same time, the chapter on Work acknowledges that the concept of the person at work is predominantly masculine and that this has in fl uenced the research and industrial preoccupation with hierarchical and leadership issues. Arguably, both chapters share the same (rather important) issue but the text neither synthesises nor develops this issue in a consistent or coherent manner. A further problem with these chapters is the absence of the role of trade unions in economic life and the workplace. Even though the Trist et al., (1963) study is included, there is a noticeable absence of research and analysis on the role of the worker and organised collectivities as agents in the workplace. The chapter on Work does include a brief comment on constructive dissent and the positive role of con fl ict but this is presented at the level of the individual. This highlights a more general yet important problem for the text, as applied social psychology struggles to deal with real life issues but ‘out of context’. Indeed, by re-presenting areas and research without political and social contexts and ignoring the role of less powerful groups, we have a sanitised and distorted account of applied social psychology’s relevance to everyday life. At various points, for example, Lewin comes across as a managerial psychologist when, in actual fact, his outlook was one of social bene fi cence and his agenda was counter-capitalist (Cooke, 1999). We are then successful in re-producing what Rose (1985, see also Parker, 1989) describes as the ‘psy-complex’.
The chapters that stand out include the chapter on the Environment (for its applicability and for a research base which will undoubtedly expand and develop); REVIEWS 72the chapter on Sport and Exercise (one of the more relevant ‘Once upon a time’ vignettes along with concise, erudite and easily accessible text and a conclusion that outlines the interplay between social psychology and sports psychology effectively); and the chapter on education (highlighting social factors as central to children’s experience of learning by using social comparison theory to both explode the myth of ‘doing your best’ and debate the placement of children with learning dif fi culties in either mainstream or special education schools). The chapter on Peace and Con fl ict deals with group membership, prejudice and intergroup relations, charting its history and bringing students up to speed with recent developments in the psychology of peace. An interesting sub-section in the Peace and Confl ict chapter, ‘changing the bigot’ outlines relatively recent research, which attempts to change the values and attitudes of people who hold prejudice. The class activities at the end of the chapter encompass UK-wide social problems and could be stimulating and productive exercises. The textbook ends in a rather unusual way by presenting each contributor’s unedited and particular SWOT analysis. The authors state that no attempt was made to reach a consensus and each SWOT analysis outlines the personal priorities of the writer. The closing chapter thus proves to be an interesting meander through fi ve commentaries on social psychology over the last sixty to seventy years but with an eye kept very much on the present. Most of the analyses concentrate on the applied —or, in some cases, lack of applied—focus in social psychology, describing social psychology’s weaknesses from “the blindingly obvious and the instantly forgettable” (p. 206) to its strengths, as a sub-discipline that seeks to include contextual factors in the understanding of everyday life. The third SWOT in the series of fi ve does acknowledge that social psychology has failed rather badly in the area of informing policy and politics, not due to the inability of journals to publish applied research but because of the reluctance of social psychologists to engage in social and political debates. This is a bit unfair as there are other pressures that operate on social psychologists in practising their discipline. Firstly, kudos in social psychology circles has often depended on the experimental basis of the study and the tightness of the design. Secondly, RAE submissions are ‘safe’ in social psychology when they produce direct linear relationships between variables. Thirdly, there is a small but signi fi cant body of social psychologists who have engaged with the politics of our social context, providing extensive commentaries and research on social and political issues. Radical social psychologists, gay and lesbian social psychologists, sociological social psychologists, anti-war social psychologists and critical social psychologists have all made their contribution to the discipline by thoroughly engaging in the social and political context of everyday life. The subtext of Applying Social Psychology also subtly revives some reductionist approaches in social psychology and once again glori fi es the scienti fi c method by pointing out that working with geneticists, biologists and neuro-psychologists can provide the sub-
discipline with signi fi cant opportunities for advancement. However, the SWOTs do provide interesting reading for an undergraduate audience and each SWOT could be a good ‘stand alone’ chapter for seminar discussion. The authors also suggest that students produce their own SWOT analysis of ‘applying social psychology’ either before or after reading the fi ve SWOTs. This would be more suitable for Level 3 social psychology students and would hopefully provide substantive debate on the state of contemporary social psychology. There is also potential here for some well-crafted teaching by replacing the ubiquitous “Discuss the extent to which…” in-course assessment essay questions with “Using a SWOT analysis, critically assess the standing of contemporary social psychology to ‘real-world’ problems”.
Overall, a substantial text, well recommended for Level 2 and Level 3 students but lacking some of the critical work and insights that have been present in social psychology over the last 10-15 years. Inclusion of this work would produce a more accurate and inclusive account of contemporary theory and debate within the sub-discipline.
References
Cooke, B. (1999). Writing the left out of management theory: the historiography of the management of change, Organization , 6, 81-106.
Parker, I. (1989). The crisis in modern social psychology and how to end it . London: Routledge.
Rose, N. (1985). The psychological complex . London: Routledge.
Trist, E. L., Higgin, G., Murray, H., & Pollock, A. B. (1963). Organizational choice . London: Tavistock.
Reviewed by Helen Murphy, Professional and Community Education, Goldsmiths College, University of LondonREVIEWS
