Review of Source book for social psychology

Abstract

Reviews the book, Source book for social psychology by Kimball Young (1927). This addition to the growing list of books on social psychology will serve primarily those readers who lack easy access to the literature since it contains excerpts from 229 sources. The author presents the subject matter of social psychology through the avenue of the group rather than through the individual. In general, the plan followed is, (1) a consideration of pre-human and human behavior as determined by the group; (2) an exposition of the bases of social behavior as revealed through physiological and psychological studies; and (3) an examination of personality as it develops in group relationships upon the triple foundation of social group, culture, and the individual. To achieve this plan the author divides the selections under six main headings: general features of social behavior; psychological foundations of social behavior; personality and social behavior, social attitudes and the subjective environment; leadership and prestige in social behavior; and collective behavior. The reviewer notes that while we are informed by the author that the compilation is "selective" and not exhaustive, and despite the praiseworthy attempt to organize the excerpts under six categories of social behavior, one lays down the volume with a growing conviction that social psychology is an amorphous subject, an affair of theory and little experiment. Not more than 13 per cent of the articles contain data derived from experiments and case studies, or, regarded somewhat differently, more than 85 per cent of the pages are theoretical in nature. Nevertheless, Young's Source Book , useful to the general reader, is a valuable reference work which promises to supplement the content of courses in social psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)