Puritan intelligence: the ideological background to IQ

Given well‐known difficulties in justifying the Galtonian conception of intelligence as innate general intellectual capacity, a historical explanation is required of why this problematic notion became so prominent in Britain and in the USA in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Parallels are drawn between it and various features of the thought‐world of the Puritans, including ideas of predestination, the elect, salvation, vocation, and intellectual education. An examination of the family backgrounds of the leading pioneers of intelligence and intelligence testing reveals that most, if not all, of them had puritan roots. A final section focuses on the tight connexion made between Galtonian intelligence and abstract thinking. It suggests that this may be linked with the central role of logic in puritan thought and its alliance with ‘pneumatology’, the forerunner of scientific psychology.     

An Aging Game Simulation Activity for Allied Health Students

The Aging Game, a simulation activity, has been used successfully with medical students in the development of empathetic attitudes toward older adults. To date, the Aging Game has not been used extensively with allied health students. It has been viewed as too costly, time-consuming and labor-intensive. The purpose of this study was to examine the administrative feasibility of implementing a modified version of the Aging Game for use with allied health students. The study showed that the Aging Game can be easily modified for use with allied health students, and it can deliver positive results for improving empathetic attitudes toward older adults.     

Literature and the phonograph

Oral English and Public Speaking for Secondary Schools. By Edwin Dubois Shurter. Chicago. Row, Peterson and Company. pp. 247, $1.25.

University Debaters’ Annual. Edited by Edith M. Phelps. New York. The H. W. Wilson Company, 1918. Pp. 274. Cloth. $1.80.

World War Issues and Ideals. By Morris Edmund Speare and Walter Blake Norris. New York, Ginn Company, 1918, 12 mo. Pp. xi+461. Cloth. $1.40.     

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY

The purpose of this column is to keep religious educators abreast of the relevant significant research in the general field of psychology. Its implications for methods and materials in religious education are clear. Religious educators may well take advantage of every new finding in scientific research.

Each abstract or group is preceded by an evaluation and interpretative comment, which aims to guide the reader in understanding the research reported.

All of these abstracts are from PSYCHOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS, and used by permission of that periodical. The abstract number is Volume 29, Number 2, April, 1955.     

Overtures on Religious Training

Comparative Religion is seen as an important curricula because it could serve as a mechanism for enhancing cross-cultural religious communication. The authors seek to examine the role of Comparative Religion as an important science for enhancing dialogue skills. Such a communication skill, however, must be developed from both intra- and inter-civilizational levels. The authors have employed an historical and textual analysis to re-examine Comparative Religion and its methodology. The authors proposed new curricula in Comparative Religion studies including criticism of the methodologies used in Comparative Religion. This includes a new methodology that considers the existing multicultural religious phenomenon as well as post–September 11, 2001 developments and the plans for departmentalization of Comparative Religion. For further benefit toward peace, harmony, and accepting co-existence, this study also highlights suggestions for developing the undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the higher education level.     

The Performance of Eyewitnesses with Intellectual Disabilities on Photographic Identification Line-ups

Despite the large number of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and the fact they are more likely to be victims and witnesses of crime, only two published studies have investigated their performance on identification line-up parades. In the present study we examined the identification performance of adults with and without ID on both a perpetrator-present and a perpetrator-absent photographic line-up. In addition, we investigated factors that could explain any potential difficulties with identification performance, such as face recognition performance (as measured by a standardised test), eyewitness confidence, understanding of the purpose of a line-up, and memory for non-biased line-up instructions. In comparison with typical adults, participants with ID demonstrated poorer performance across both perpetrator-present and perpetrator-absent photographic line-ups, yet were more confident in the accuracy of their responses. In addition they had poorer face recognition performance, were less likely to understand the purpose of the line-up, and were less likely to remember the non-biased line-up instructions. This pattern of difficulties is discussed in relation to the development of future research and interventions.     

PERSONAL COUNSELING AS A FUNCTION OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE COUNSELING EXPERIENCE

The roles and responsibilities of community college counselors have altered over the last 40 years as a result of profound social, cultural, economic, and political changes. A compounding factor is the dramatic demographic shifts that have occurred across the United States. Although academic and career-related issues traditionally have been the cornerstones of the work of community college counselors, this too is changing. Reports of the escalating frequency and severity of mental health concerns of community college students have prompted counselors to increasingly emphasize personal counseling. This article summarizes some personal issues that counselors are now likely to encounter with community college students. Recommendations for community college counselors working with students experiencing personal difficulties are also included.