experimental-psychology

A great little introductory book - three of Steiner's most readable lectures("A Lecture to Prospective Parents," a public lecture on Waldorf Education given in Arrau, and a lecture to English educators) accompanied by an exhilarating introduction by Sagarin.

With this one volume you can learn what Steiner wanted his pedagogical approach to accomplish and enter into what I believe is a seminal discussion by Sagarin about what this education is really all about (hint: the name of the school isn't the answer).

I would give this book to anyone wanting to learn more aboutWaldorf Education. It is thebestwayI've seensofar of introducingthelivingintent and humangoals of this approach to education. Itisinspiring, liberating, and as alive as it wasonthe daythe WaldorfSchool of Stuttgartfirst opened its doors. Plus, it is in clear, modern English!

I am a contributor to this book and know many of the other authors therein, but receive no
compensation from its sale. Having declared this possible conflict of interest, I can recommend
purchase of this book if you are interested in learning what can be discovered from the face
through measurement of facial muscular action in scientific research. Its approximately 500
pages contains 22 scientific articles, mostly published previously in journals, that report
research studies conducted in the late 1970s to the early 1990s, most towards this later date.
These articles cover a diverse range of topics, methods, and principles having to do with the
relationship between facial expression and emotion; clinical diagnosis, treatment, and outcome;
and other related issues. The editors's selection process, based on the use in the study of the
Facial Action Coding System (FACS, a method for measuring facial behavior), has included
competent research with above average interest, thoughtful reflection, theoretical and practical
relevance, and plain good sense that generally exceeds what you might find, for example, in your
typical social psychology journal. The authors of the articles work in many places around the
world and represent most of the people in the vanguard of the FACS movement and the new
approaches to studying behavior and emotion. This book is particularly helpful if you are new to
the study of facial behavior or have not been diligent in collecting the important articles using
facial measurement, which are published many different journals. The book provides an efficient
vehicle to catch up on the significant issues, findings, trends, and controversies in the areas
covered, including the quality and usefulness of the information provided by the face, the
relationship of facial expression to emotion, whether emotion is a coherent response system,
differences between genuine and false smiles, expression in pathological states, affect in the
psychotheraputic process, etc. The included works provide a solid foundation for understanding
how facial measurement contributes to investigating behavioral science problems. Even in the
unlikely event that you have previously read all the published works reprinted here, this volume
has value because each chapter has at least one afterward that expands on the original work in
revealing and useful ways that bring you up to date on the topic, and there is one thought
provoking article by Ekman et al. on the relation between facial behavior and psychiatric
outcomes that you will not find elsewhere. Also, the editors include their own new chapters
introducing, and finally, summarizing and integrating the works included. A table of contents,
forward by M. Brewster Smith, original source references, author list, and a lengthy subject
index are included. Take a look at the table of contents provided on this site to see more
details. The overall statement of this book is that the face contains important data about
concepts that are vital to diverse behavioral science issues. You will find that the perspective
of this book is different from several other books on facial expression currently in print. If
you are contemplating research on emotion, facial behavior, non-verbal behavior, and related
topics, this book is a helpful guide containing useful background; if you are currently planning
research in these fields, it is indispensible reading.

Finally, teachers and administrators have a useful tool to recharge their classrooms/schools. We have become so test oriented that many times we forget that the process of learning comes from the doing. The statement comes to mind that we utter with new approaches," When do I have the time to get it all in?". That is where the problem lies! We are so pressured with these new demands that we loose sight of what is important, the process. This book will give us a clearer picture of how we can recharge our teaching and can provide the key so we can use the ideas to change the way we teach or approach the students' learning who are in our care.

I was getting ready to prepare a training program for 44 persons when I read this book. Immediately! after I used the guidelines to prepare my session. Preparation was fast and easy -and fun! I really couldn't believe that it was that easy to apply and it has been one of my best sessions to date. I refer to it when I need a refresher or a new perspective. I definately reccomend this book for trainers who need to keep their material fresh and interesting (esp. in-house trainers).

I am a subject matter expert who was occassionally requested to make training presentations. I began to realize that training was my calling. I was then hired to plan training programs. By chance, I ran across this book. After reading the book, I was so inspired I wanted to read it again to ensure that I didn't miss anything important. Here is what happened next. I needed to plan training for professionals in a country I had never visited -- truly a risky venture! Relying on the principles in this book, I designed a program that really involved the participants (the students). For example, in the afternoon of the first day of the workshop, students were meeting with each other in breakout sessions, identifying "promising practices" and "best practices" and making presentations to the whole group. The workshop lasted three days. My supervisors really liked the design of the program. The instructors/facilitators loved participating in the program. And, most importantly, the students/participants loved it so much that I am told to expect twice as many students/participants at the next session. As one instructor/facilitator put it, if the goal of the program was to both create joy and share knowledge, the goal was achieved. Without the information in this book (about how the brain works, about the importance of joy to successful training, about the importance of giving the students/participants the opportunity to create knowledge, etc., etc.), my program would not have been the success that it was. To the author -- Dave Meier (whom I have never met) -- I have these words: "Your book inspired me. It inspired me to design a great training program ... a training program even better than I could have imagined. Because of the importance of the training program, I will look back at the program as one of the great achievements in my life. And I owe it to you. Thank you."

This book is full of good information, but I was looking for something more in the lesson plan style, rather then just prose. It makes a good compliment to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann, which I purchased at the same time and have found very effective with my children. Engelmann's book is more pre-structered, where this book gives more of basic guidelines and turns you loose. Great together, if you're just looking for one, I'd suggest choosing based on which way you feel comfortable teaching.

I am only 1/3 of the way through the lessons, but already my 3 and 5 year old children are starting to read words. Every day they ask to play the games, especially the "Block Game". Never before have I had my children ask to learn. Highly recommended!

I cannot wait to teach my children to read using this method. My friend taught her daughter to read using this book when she was four years old, and now as a seven-year-old, she's at the top of her class and excels in learning everything thrown at her. The ideas that the author has for gaining the attention of your little one are fun and rewarding. I also like the fact that you are not teaching your children how to say each letter, but how each letter sounds. She gives a day by day lesson plan and sample stories for your child to read. I highly recommend this book.

Impressed by the promises the author makes, I began reading this book very enthusiastically. But after the first five chapters i became bit skeptical as the author throughout talks about"The Supercamp". This book is more of an advertisement for the Supercamp. The good stuff appears only after the first half of this book and that too is very elementary.

Though the author talks about some advanced techniques, yet she fails to do justice with them.

You may reap some benefits from this book if it's your first one on the learning techniques. It's mainly an introduction to techniques such as mind maps, memory techniques, creativity etc. I read this book after reading the Memory book, power reading(not finished yet) and What smart students know and found that this one stood nowhere against the formers.

The good thing about this book is the way the information has been presented. If you are a student and planning to buy a book on learning techniques,i recommend "What Smart Students Know" by Adam Robinson. For adults....look elsewhere. This ain't gonna bring the genius outof you.

This book is a great book on how to improve your way and your child's way to learn. It has great techniques for note taking, knowing your learning style, and other information to help you understand in a way it is easy for you to understand. great book! I recommend this for anyone!

I purchased this book about three years ago. It made a difference in how I have managed myself and teams I work with. Understanding the different learning styles and taking the time to realize your own potential can come out in other ways made a big difference. An original copy I had was misplaced, but it made such an impression on my mind I purchased another copy recently to share with my coworkers. They found it useful as well.

One of the problems with the study of mental phenomenon is that everyone thinks they are, or can become, an expert. Nowhere is this deeply inaccurate intuition more prominently displayed than in the study of animal minds. Over the last 30 or so years, however, a group of scientists have begun to chisel away at this problem using carefully articulated theories, clever experiments, and the good will of animals in the wild and in captivity. The architect for many of the relevant theories, and a large number of the clever experiments, is David Premack. Now, in this exceptionally profound book, Premack not only walks the reader through his mind, showcasing how carefully reasoned arguments can be converted into simple experiments, but unleashes a wealth of new ideas that should keep the field going for a long time to come. But if you think this is only for the academic crowd, think again. Beautifully written in collaboration with his wife Ann, this book should be mandatory reading for all those who have pets, or who work in zoos, and wish to gain new insights into what animals think and feel. The study of animal cognition is not like astrophysics. You don't need the math and you don't need the high tech, zillion dollar equipment. You need the right theories, some simple experiments that can be done with equipment from your local [store] or pet store, and good eyes to watch and document what the animals does. In Original Intelligence, the Premacks have provided all the ingredients. Bon appetite!

This book is a gem. The science is pure unadulterated Premack. Creative beyond our times. In contrast to many of the touchy-feely books about animals that are based largely on intuition, unconstrained by the lack of theory, Original Intelligence is precisely the opposite. Armed witih the tools of a cognitive scientist, and the clarity of a philospher of mind, Premack approaches the minds of animals in the most sophisticated fashion. There are so many new ideas in this book that both students of animals science, as well as pet owners and animal lovers, will have years and years of things to think about and test.

But not only are the ideas extraordinary, so too are the wonderful experiments on chimpanzees. Their beauty lies in their simplicity. One constantly has this nagging feeling: why didn't i think of that!

Perhaps most important of all, it is written with beautiful clarity and warmth. One hears the authors voices and sentiments. It's almost as good as having a book on tape. Anyone interested in what animals think, and critically, how we should think about their thinking in relation to ours, MUST pick up this book.

Original Intelligence is a tremendously valuable book for readers who want to understand the nature of human infants and other minds, extending even to chimpanzees and beyond. It may well be regarded as a classic book in psychology for years to come.

Premack and Premack were foremost leaders in psychological research on chimpanzee cognition in the 1970s -1980s. For the past 15 years, they have focused their study on the cognitive competencies of human infants. No one is better positioned therefore to identify unique aspects of human minds. They tackle deep issues: concepts of intentionality, causality, and the cognitive operations involved in language. In addition, Premack and Premack provide fascinating comparisons to chimpanzee cognition, drawn from their own and other studies, which help illuminate both psychological similarities and differences between apes and us.

As talented researchers themselves, Premack and Premack draw often and expertly upon best evidence from experimental studies both of human children and of animals. Perhaps a reader may need to be willing to work a bit in following that evidence, but if so will be rewarded by a truly insightful commentary. Premack and Premack have first-hand research experience, a broad perspective, and capacity for penetrating analysis in a combination that is equaled by no one.

As a psychology prof who sometimes teaches about human versus animal minds, I regard Original Intelligence to be a landmark book I'll keep for rereading many times. It is an excellent book for anyone who wants to understand human infants and other minds.

Callie Hayes is still at loose ends after graduating college, and doesn't have a serious relationship or any good prospects. Encouraged by her friend Meg she signs up as a volunteer for a "psychological experiment," and finds herself transported to a harsh alien world to carry out her assignment. Unfortunately she didn't pay much attention during the orientation and quickly finds herself lost, over-whelmed and in mortal danger.

The story quickly progresses as Callie struggles to survive and somehow get back home. In the course of her struggles she faces the limits of her own intellect, learns how much of her own effort is futile, and begins to understand faith in a much deeper way. And learns how to maintain contact with, well, God. And meets Pierce who is at first arrogant and obnoxious, but... well, you'll just have to read it. It's quite exciting and it will keep you turning pages.

Yes, it's an allegorical story about a Christian's spiritual journey; you can also read it as a plain old whiz-bang adventure story. It works either way.

Author Karen Hancock makes it clear from the beginning that this is a Christian book dedicated to Jesus Christ. For the most part she handles her material deftly and without preaching, but there are times when the theology becomes just a bit heavy-handed. And there are times when she offers too much explanation for all the strange happenings, rather than just showing the reader. Sometimes there is too much blood and gore, too much danger, too many impossible situations, but--hey! I still kept on reading, and so will you. This is not a perfect book, but a good one and an uplifting one as well. I recommend it. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber

I am thrilled to see the rebirth of interest in Christian speculative fiction, something long neglected in this age of mostly pagan-influenced writings. Though, like Tolkien, I "cordially dislike allegory" as a general rule, I nonetheless found myself impressed with Karen Hancock's first published book (I hear that her Guardian King series was actually written first). It's action-filled, and generally illustrative of her points without being preachy (as a Christian writer myself, I find that this task is more difficult than it seems). Though occasionally lapsing into what I would deem Romance Novel cliches (the main character falls for a rich cowboy named Pierce), the overall story is dramatic, and the characters are believably flawed. I found myself wincing at the truths that found their way into my heart ("We are holding his leash..."), and actually felt that I had read a complete and refreshing story. Fans of Randy Alcorn may find this novel a little too similar to his Edge of Eternity, but it is different enough in its general structure and approach to make it original and worthwhile in its own right (and perhaps even more readable).

I can definitely say that it was worth the money, and that I plan to buy all of Karen Hancock's books from this point on, as soon as they hit the shelves. Brava, Mrs. Hancock. Keep those fingers tapping.

I loved this book. I hardly ever read fiction because I sometimes feel furthering my relationsihp with God is not going to happen by reading fictional stories. However, Arena has changed my mind! This book has made me see how much I was holding back from God, and gave me a big reality check. I came away from this book desiring deeper intimacy with God. I think it was the relationship that Callie had with Elhanue, and the way Hancock portrayed him as a friend and constant companion that made me see how I have been ignoring it.

I am a Christian, and quite a strong one, but it has been awhile since I have been unsatisfied with the level of intimacy I have with God.

I also thought the love story between Callie and Pierce was captivating. It was so well-written, and I love the fact that Callie only started to become attracted to Pierce after she got to know him. So many novels start with love at first sight. Their romance actually caught me by surprise (okay not entirely, but it was not obvious at the beginning that they would fall in love). I also thought Hancock did a great job of showing that Callie and Pierce struggled with passion and attraction to each other. People aren't perfect, even born-again spirit-filled Christians. I thought it made them seem human, and I was able to relate to them!

All I have to say is, this book has changed me and the way I see God. I highly recommend it!

Yes, the intelligence and ability of parrots to communicate concepts IS interesting. But wow! This book has far too much technical detail to keep me turning pages. I bought the book to learn about how Alex was trained and how he progressed through the training. But the book goes into too much detail about Pepperberg's scientific and psychological study to keep me awake. Certainly not bedtime reading. I only wish she'd written the book I wanted to read.

I can almost hear Irene Pepperberg saying that to us as she describes the significance of THE ALEX STUDIES. She herself offers a few humorous anecdotes about Alex, but for the most part there is definitely nothing funny about this book. It's written in a deliberately prosaic style for the following reasons. The very tendency for the media and general public to treat Alex as simply the "talking parrot", when in reality his vocalizations represent something much more important in terms of animal cognition and communication. Also stemming from the fact that her findings about bird cognition are so significant, Pepperberg in making her case to scientific colleagues, writes with them in mind. She is incredibly detailed in describing her experiments and the controls used. This is in order to avoid the possibility of cueing and thus comparisons to "clever Hans"; she wants to remove the possibility of persons saying the evidence is that most dreaded scientific epithet - merely "anecdotal". The book is replete with references and Pepperberg places them in the body of her text instead of as footnotes. The book is not a smooth read and only a scientist could describe it as "a delightful and easy read" as ethologist Marc Bekoff says on the cover. This is not a popular science book. But equally it takes an evoltionary biologist and ornithologist to see the "groundbreaking" significance of the book as Bernd Heinrich does.

Where does that leave us, the general reading public? If you take it in small pecks (couldn't resist one bird metaphor) you will be rewarded by some incredible insights into the cognitive powers of animals. We learn of abilities that scientists said perhaps (and that's a capital "P") resided only in Great Apes. Never was it imagined that birds possesed them. Pepperberg spends chapters discussing different capabilities such as numeric cognition, categorization, and word comprehension. Alex responded to Pepperberg's questions about "what color?" "what shape?" and "how many?" with appropriate answers. By far the most interesting responses were Alex's answers to conceptual problems. When asked "what's different" Alex showed he understood the concept of relativity by answering "larger".

The traditional view was that we know that animals are not sentient. Pepperberg's experiments show that what we "know" about animal cognition is not that much at all. How else can it be. Science has a history of a few hundred years and it was not that very long ago that we "knew" that the earth was flat or that it was at the center of the universe. Cognitive Ethology (the study of animal intelligence) is less than a generation old. Perhaps he's not the best source to quote since he's from a comedy, but that man in black, Tommie Lee Jones as "K" was absolutely right when he said "just imagine what we'll know tomorrow."

This is a very interesting read. It's a bit technical and outlines Dr. Pepperberg's research is great detail. However, anyone who has experience Alex on television will be facinated by his abilities.

After utilizing this book as the required textbook for the graduate level 'Models of Teaching' course at the University of Memphis, I can honestly say that, throughout my pursuit of a Master's Degree in Education, this has to be one of the worst texts I have ever had to suffer. I found it to be poorly written, badly formatted, and terribly confusing in its organization. Even my instructor -- who holds a doctorate in education and is a highly-regarded professional consultant in the field of adult education -- is still unsure exactly how many so-called 'models' were introduced by this unforgiveably overpriced excuse for a text! Thank heaven my classmates and I could rely on good lectures and excellent group learning activities. Leave this one on the shelf!! Better yet, tell Joyce, Weil and Calhoun to head back to English class and then re-focus their efforts on creating a teaching tool that will serve to help the student rather than frustrate him.

This text is an awesome summary of 'state of the art' teaching models that improve student achievement. The scenarios provide a glimpse into what each model would look like in the classroom. The authors have also provided an extensive rationale and research base for each model. Joyce is definately an author that informed educators should pay attention to.
If you want one of the best sources as an educator looking to improve his/her own teaching practice (and student achievement), this is it!

Inspire and very reflective book when teaching becomes our first goal

Without any doubt, this is a comprehensive book in this field. However, because the authors tried to demonstrate their superior english writting abilities, they made the whole text hard to understand for students. From my point of view, as a new professor, I don't believe that recommending this book is appropriate.

This is a practitioner's book, not a scolar's. I'm not a scolar -- never have been and never will be. I love this book. It's lucid, it's sensible and it's great statistics. It goes thoroughly into the logic of linear model ANOVAs yet the bulk of the exposition is in the simple English language -- it has no calculus and no eigenvectors and almost no matrix algebra. You need an acquaintance with elementary one-way ANOVA but no more background than that. The authors pace it carefully and are not afraid of a bit of repetition for the sake of clarity (something I always appreciate when I'm reading new technical material). It's one of the best $105 dollars I've ever spent. I got loads out of it all the way through and it's a big book. The explanation of multivariate repeated measures is worth the price alone.

I continue to select this text for a graduate course in advanced experimental design. The book is not easy, and that is one reason why I like it. It presents a thoughtful scholarship on controversial issues pertaining to the use of inferential statistics as a tool to assist the researcher in making decisions about the validity and strength of functional relationships present in the data. The book eliminates the naive overconfidence that sometimes results from cookbook applications of algorithms to the results of experiments. It shows that the process of discovery and data analysis is never complete and that the general linear model is an imperfect technique by which to discern orderliness in nature where intersubject variability is a given.