234
Psychology
in
the Schools, April,
1976,
Vol.
13,
No.
2.
a good deal of material on sexual intimacy, the double standard, and attitudes
toward marriage in just seven pages.
In her final chapter, Gallatin discusses the recurring problem of feminine
identity. She is struck with the similarity between Erikson’s view on female develop-
ment and those of
G.
Stanley Hall; however, she cautions the reader not to dis-
miss Erikson as outnioded
or sexist. She feels much of the research on sex differences
is inconsistent with his theoretical stance. She cites evidence for and against his
ideas, but states that his strong biological orientation creates
a
problem in ac-
ceptance of his theory as a whole.
Those who wish to study adolescence in more detail would do well to consult
Coleman’s book
Youth: Transition to Adulthood,
which was reviewed recently in
these pages. Coleman’s thesis that youth needs to be given more responsibility
in our society and
at
a faster rate is cont.rary to Erikson’s thesis that the adolescent
“moratorium”-a breathing space for adolescents and
a
forestalling of adult com-
mitments-is a most desirable experience for youth.
In summary, we can say that this book is a major contribution to the literature
on American adolescence and youth. Well written, it is an
original
work, much
more
so
than the usual textbook in psychology. Many writers of psychological
texts have difficulty in presenting the results of research studies in an informative
and meaningful way; not
so
Gallatin. The reader will come away with a clear
idea of not only the outcomes
of
various studies, but the viewpoints of the various
theorists. Her writing style
is
clearly a superior one and future textbook writers
would do well to read this book to note the clarity and superior level of organiza-
tion of material.
Compliments should also be extended to the publisher for the excellent layout,
typesetting and clarity
of
print which is evidenced in this book.
G.
R.
G.
GIVNER,
A.,
&
GRAUBARD,
P.
A
Handbook
of
Behavior Modification
for
the
Class-
room.
New York: Holt, Rinehart
&
Winston,
1973, 168
pp;
$3.95
(paperback).
With an increasing proliferation of books on behavior modification designed
for school personnel, one must now
be
much more critical and search for unique
attributes. When the market offers more than two dozen behavior modification
books, it is no longer adequate to judge a book on the criterion of the author meeting
stated goals
or
purpose. The objectives, both explicit and implicit, must be scru-
tinized. And the special contributions of the text should be noted.
A quick glance at the table
of
contents of Givner and Graubard’s handbook
reveals a book on the slim side
(168
pages) divided into
six
chapters as follows:
(1)
Eight guidelines of reinforcement systems
for
developing effective instruction
;
(2)
The token economy;
(3)
Alternatives to the token economy;
(4)
Observation
and evaluation;
(5)
Curriculum and behavioral objectives;
(6)
Answering some
questions about behavior modification. Obvious from this table of contents is the
goal of the authors
:
implementation of reinforcement programs in classrooms. The
preface is more explicit. The authors are
‘I.
.
.
dedicated to the philosophy .
.
.
that behavior modification
or
behavior analysis techniques provide an effective
way of teaching.”