Books Received - Livres Re¸us.

Abstract

Ackerman, P.L., R.J. Sternberg and R. Glaser (eds.), 1989. Learning and Individual Differences. New York: W.H. Freeman. This anthology is a much needed update of the field of learning and individual differences. Written by many of today's most distinguished psychologists, the chapters in this book not only discuss the latest contemporary research but offer a critical review of the progress made in the field over the last twenty years. The contributors examine the historical and theoretical foundations for the study of individual differences in learning, describe empirical approaches to learning and individual differences, present a taxonomic description of learning skills, and communicate the current intellectual climate that will shape future research in the area. Adams, G.R. and T. Gullotta, 1989. Adolescent Life Experiences. Pacific Grove, CA: BrooksjCole Publishing Co. This second edition of a book written for those who strive to better understand adolescents, whether in a professional or a personal role, was revised to include more 'traditional' psychology while retaining the original applied concept of 'life experiences'. It also reflects the problems and changes that confront teenagers now and will in coming years. Adolescents today are forced to wrestle with tougher decisions than ever before; the authors confront these tough issues headon, and emphasize the role that society plays in the erratic and sometimes volatile lives of teenagers. Ajzen, 1., 1988. Attitudes, Personality, and Behavior. Pacific Grove, CA: BrooksjCole Publishing Co. This book examines the recent developments concerning the dispositional prediction of human behavior. The author draws equally from Personality and Social Psychology research and highlights the similarities in the way traits and attitudes are defined, in the way they are measured, and in the implications of these definitions and measurement procedures for dispositional prediction of behavior. The authors show how enthusiastic acceptance of the trait and attitude concepts gave way, in both domains, to rather pessimistic assessments of the validity and practical utility of the dispositional approach. Baker, W.J., L.P. Mos, H.V. Rappard and H.J. Stam (eds.), 1988. Recent Trends in Theoretical Psychology. New York: Springer-Verlag. This volume constitutes the Proceedings of the Second Biannual Conference of the International Society for Theoretical Psychology, held in Banff, Alberta, Canada, April 20-25, 1987. Including an invited address by Kenneth Gergen on the concept of progress in psychological theory, this volume includes 34 of the 39 papers