Review of Pioneering in psychology

Abstract

Reviews the book, Pioneering in psychology by C. E. Seashore (1942). No adequate history of applied psychology can fail to give prominence to the leadership and contributions of Dr. Seashore. Although this treatise contains interesting autobiographical material and a description of the evolution of the psychological laboratory, the author is mainly concerned with a portrayal of the psychological frontiers in which Iowa has pioneered under his leadership. Although there is little to criticize a treatise of this kind, two points occur to the reviewer. (1) The book was written by an insider, one who has played the dominant role in guiding the development of psychology at Iowa. It is possible, therefore, that this has led in some instances to a lack of complete objectivity. (2) Some readers who are interested in the history of American psychology would have liked an analysis of research projects done at Iowa. This would have revealed the waxing and waning of emphases in research. Nevertheless, Seashore has written an interesting and valuable treatise. It is to be hoped that other senior American psychologists will write similar documents describing their laboratories and their contributions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)