No CrossRef data available.
Extract
Recent and relevant books.
Information
- Type
- BOOK REVIEWS
- Information
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 11 , Issue 7 , November 2005 , pp. 934
- Copyright
- © 2005 The International Neuropsychological Society
Prenatal Testosterone in Mind: Amniotic Fluid Studies
Prenatal Testosterone in Mind: Amniotic Fluid Studies, by Simon Baron-Cohen, Svetlana Lutchmaya, and Rebecca Knickmeyer. 2004. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 131 pp., $30.00, (HB).
Prenatal Testosterone in Mind: Amniotic Fluid Studies is a brief but engrossing record of a study of whether prenatal testosterone levels can provide insight into an individual's cognitive and behavioral repertoire. Ethical considerations are addressed directly, followed by succinct discussion of gonadal hormones and sexual differentiation, a brief recapitulation of research on sex differences related to cognition and behavior, the influence of different brain regions, cerebral lateralization theories, and sexual development disorders. After a brief discussion of research strategies, the authors detail their study of “amniocentesized children”. The authors studied amniotic fluid samples at 16-weeks gestation and examined the relationship between fetal testosterone levels and eventual behavior and cognition at 1, 2 and 4 years of age, using eye contact as a marker for social development and measures of language development and social relationships. This intriguing volume will be of interest to cognitive neuroscientists, psychologists, endocrinologists, and all who are interested in development, gender, and the relative contributions of “nature and nurture” as determinants of an individual's behavior. Those interested in autism spectrum disorders should certainly become familiar with its content. Regrettably, it is still too early for the authors to inform us about fetal testosterone's association with autism for their sample, but the study is ongoing.
Psychobiology of Personality (Second Edition)
Psychobiology of Personality (Second Edition), by Marvin Zuckerman. 2004. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 322 pp., $100.00, (HB); $50.00 (PB).
Many JINS readers have a particular interest in psychobiological correlates of personality development, and therefore will find Psychobiology of Personality closely allied with, or challenging to, their own theoretical positions. This volume updates the 1991 edition. After initial discussion in Chapter 1 on temperament and personality, and in Chapter 2 on psychobiological methods, the author directs attention to four basic personality dimensions: extraversion/sociability in Chapter 3, neuroticism in Chapter 4, psychoticism, impulsivity, sensation and/or novelty seeking, conscientiousness in Chapter 5, aggression-hostility/agreeableness in Chapter 6. A final Chapter 7, entitled Consilience, emphasizes “that quality of science that combines knowledge across disciplines, to create a common background of explanation” (p. 245). Together, these chapters provide an introductory text that will be of interest to those whose areas of interest bridge the fields of neuropsychology, behavioral genetics, psychopharmacology, and psychophysiology.
Attention, Perception and Memory: An Integrated Introduction
Attention, Perception and Memory: An Integrated Introduction, by Elizabeth A. Styles. 2005. Hove, UK: Psychology Press, 368 pp., $21.95, (PB).
Attention, Perception and Memory: An Integrated Introduction is the latest in the Psychology Focus series. A number of contributions to this series may hold interest for JINS readers. This book is intended for undergraduate psychology students and for use in cognitive psychology classes. The perspective that it is necessary to integrate these domains of function to best understand their interrelationships and how they depend on each other is both appropriate and worth emphasizing. The naïve reader will benefit from an explanation of terminology and scientific assumptions placed within the context of the cognitive neuroscience literature. The book nicely highlights historical linkages to current research paradigms and guides the reader through increasingly sophisticated content in a very readable way. While offered as an introductory volume it is not too basic and more experienced readers may benefit from the author's interweaving of research and clinical insights. Illustrations, self-assessment questions, a glossary, and highlighted references for further reading add to its readability and usefulness.
You have
Access