Review of Factors of human psychology

Abstract

Reviews the book, Factors of human psychology by Lawrence W. Cole (1926). In this book by Cole "No attempt has been made to give an account of animal psychology, nor of applied psychology except as facts from that realm may illustrate psychological principles. The endeavor has been made to lay a foundation for business, industrial and educational psychology in the facts selected for discussion." This endeavor has been well realized. The text does lay a foundation for later applied courses without unduly anticipating them. The book is made interesting by the frequent use of that sort of commonplace illustration which good teachers employ in class but which they seldom seem able to get into their texts. The author's own point of view is apparently predominantly of the structuralistic order and it seems that he has found no product of the behavioristic school worthy of mention. The reviewer does not agree with all of the conclusions drawn; for example, that the acceptance of evidence that the quick learner retains better than the slow learner implies an endorsement of cramming. But the points of disagreement are usually minor and in any event a text that provokes disagreement is not for that reason to be condemned. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)