Contemporary Schools of Psychology

The major schools of psychology as they existed in 1931, when the first edition of this survey was published, are still contemporary schools. Considerable revision is called for, however, not because any radically new schools have come forward, but because important new developments have occurred in nearly every one of the existing schools. This is notably true of behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, and psychoanalysis. Behaviorism has risen to a more critical scientific level; Gestalt psychology has branched out into new fields; psychoanalysis has changed somewhat in its clinical methods and still more in its theory. The “hormic and holistic” group of schools were nearly all mentioned in the previous edition but are now brought together into a single chapter. The newer associationists, instead of being considered rather incidentally, are now given a chapter to themselves along with their associationist predecessors. It has seemed appropriate to regard as functional psychologists, in a broad sense, most of those who were previously spoken of as being in the “middle of the road”; and for that reason, the final chapter under the latter heading has lost most of its content and been reduced to a brief epilogue.

All these revisions and rearrangements have demanded a practically complete rewriting of the book. Certain discussions which were perhaps pertinent in 1931 now appear superfluous and have been omitted, so that the text as a whole has not been much enlarged, though its coverage is certainly more complete. What was said in the first edition to the effect that the book had grown out of a lecture course still remains true, for the author has lectured on these schools every year since then”.— Author’s Introduction

Clinical guide to various classes of psychological disorders including anxiety; trauma responses; obsessive-compulsive; eating disorders; depression; alcohol use; cocaine use; borderline personality disorder; bipolar disorder; sexual dysfunction and couple distress. Comprehensive guide to etiology; assessment; evidence-based treatment interventions; protocol for conducting up 12-15 sessions. Great for beginning clinicians or those interested in advancing skill level & expertise.