First published in 1950, this revised edition of The Structure of Human Abilities was published in 1961, but remained largely unchanged from the original save for an additional supplement on the developments in factorial work on human abilities from 1950-1959. Much research had been carried out during the years leading up to publication, in England and America, into mental abilities; and modern methods of statistical treatment, especially factor analysis, had been increasingly used. It was felt that the mass of diverse material was apt to confuse the student of psychology of the time, especially as the results of such research were often apparently conflicting. Professor Vernon, one of the leading experts in this branch of psychology, sifted the material and attempted to provide a consistent picture of our mental structure.

First published in 1950, this revised edition of The Structure of Human Abilities was published in 1961, but remained largely unchanged from the original save for an additional supplement on the developments in factorial work on human abilities from 1950-1959. Much research had been carried out during the years leading up to publication, in England and America, into mental abilities; and modern methods of statistical treatment, especially factor analysis, had been increasingly used. It was felt that the mass of diverse material was apt to confuse the student of psychology of the time, especially as the results of such research were often apparently conflicting. Professor Vernon, one of the leading experts in this branch of psychology, sifted the material and attempted to provide a consistent picture of our mental structure.

Originally published in 1953, this third edition was first published in 1970. It was one of the early attempts at bringing together theories of personality organisation and finding empirical evidence to test their hypotheses. This third edition includes additional chapters and updated references to current research of the time. It is a particular feature of this book that a large number of figures are reproduced in the text; this is essentially a consequence of the writer’s belief that diagrammatic representations are better suited to the transmitting and remembering of information than are words or numbers. The first chapter outlines the theories and discusses some of their implications, the second and third look at methods of analysis and projective techniques, while the rest of the book is devoted to a critical presentation of the evidence, arranged according to the technique employed – rating, self-rating, objective testing, constitutional assessment, autonomic measurement, and so on. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.

Originally published in 1988, in this personal review of the state of academic psychology, Paul Kline draws attention to the way in which his peers at the time studiously avoided such threatening matters as human feelings and emotions, unconscious ‘complexes’ – in short anything that could be called the human psyche. His erudite, amusing, and provocative text outlines the crucial influence of the development of scientific method before examining key experiments within cognitive psychology and cognitive science, psychometrics, social psychology, and animal behaviour. Is most of experimental psychology trivial, redundant, and irrelevant? The academic subject cannot continue to ignore its critics, he argued, and must solve its problems by means of radical solutions. Whether they support or refute Professor Kline’s arguments, students and professionals alike will still enjoy this original book.

Originally published in 1969, Intelligence and Cultural Environment looks at the concept of intelligence and the factors influencing the mental development of children, including health and nutrition, as well as child-rearing practices. It goes on to discuss the application of intelligence tests in non-Western countries and includes both British and cross-cultural studies to illustrate this. Inevitably a product of the time in which it was written, this book nonetheless makes a valuable contribution to intelligence theory as we know it today.

Donald Hebb was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century and the first version of this textbook was written in 1958. This 4th edition, co-authored with Donderi, was originally published in 1987 and the object of the book was to introduce the student to the scientific study of the human mind and behaviour. The authors’ concern was with scientific psychology and fundamental principles. They felt this understanding was the best preparation to following future developments in psychological knowledge and to understand the changes in how that knowledge was applied. Although psychology has developed in many directions since its publication, much of the information in this book is still relevant today.

Originally published in 1964, the aim of this book was to analyse the psychological processes involved in understanding personality, and to consider how the psychologist could help in making more accurate assessments. Professor Vernon discusses in detail the scientific status of psychoanalytic and other ‘depth’ theories of motivation, the value of different types of psychotherapeutic treatment and counselling, the influence of upbringing on the development of personality, and the effectiveness of projective techniques. He also examines the reasons for the highly variable results obtained with personality tests and questionnaires. As well as providing a balanced review of theories of personality and of various types of test, this work made a fresh contribution to developing improved techniques of assessment.

First published in 1964, Psychology and Social Problems looks at a changing society and research into problems of the time. Many of the themes in the book, such as delinquency, mental health and racial conflict, are still familiar and current topics of discussion today. Social scientists had carried out extensive research into problems of urgent public concern, yet their findings were not widely known or understood and they had often been diffident in advocating policies based on their conclusions. Michael Argyle discussed the recent psychological and social research bearing on the origins of aggression, delinquency, mental disorder, racial and international prejudice, and industrial discontent; he went on to consider the implications of these studies for prevention and control and for the guidance of social change. This sophisticated and well-documented critique is presented with such lucidity and verve that it will appeal equally to laymen and to students and professional workers and can now be enjoyed in its historical context.

How do we know what works in primary schools? How do we make sure that we are always learning from fellow teachers, always learning from the children we teach and always moving forward? The answer lies in research. In understanding, conducting, disseminating and learning from research. But what do we mean by research, and how do we ′do′ it? This book is your guide to research in primary education. It takes you through both important established theory and recent developments in research and explores what these mean right now for primary education and classroom settings. It helps you to conceive, conduct, write up and share your research with others. It looks at how you can access research findings to improve your classroom practice and deepen your understanding. It examines how you can use research in your classroom everyday to continually enhance teaching, and how you can shape and frame the questions you ask to help you get to the answers you need. If you are a trainee teacher doing a research project as part of your course, or a qualified teacher doing further study, this text includes all the guidance you need. If you are a teacher wanting to find out what works best for your class, in your school, right now, this text will show you how to harness the power of small or large scale research to help you find the answer.

It is now well over a hundred and fifty years since the first celebrated geographical explorations of Africa took place. However, it was many years before there began quests of a different kind – the investigation of behaviour, personality, attitude and ability among Africa’s people. Originally published in 1975, this book is an account of that work: the first explorations in Africa of psychology. In an exhaustive and well-documented report the author, a psychologist who had himself done research in Nigeria, Uganda and who had lectured at Makerere University, drew together the main threads of the research carried out so far, putting the issues in an African perspective but anchoring them firmly within the framework of modern psychological thinking and technique of the time. Are there any common personality and intellectual characteristics among Africans? How does weaning affect African child development? How have Africans’ feelings developed about city life and industrial work? The questions the author considers range from the broad-based to the specific. The challenges which lay ahead for African investigators then moving into the mainstream of the work are also discussed. But perhaps above all the book made a convincing case for psychology becoming a relevant and finely honed discipline in Black Africa, characterised by practical application to Black African society. Each chapter covers a defined area of modern psychology of the time and presents a comprehensive survey in a language no more technical that the subject warrants. At the time is was felt this book would be invaluable to students of Africa secondary education whose course included a psychology component and to African students beginning a degree course in psychology. It would also have provided an informative supplement to courses in medicine, development studies, political science, sociology and anthropology.