BOOK REVIEWS

The marginal status of self-concept

Handbook of Scff-Concept Developmental, Social,
research is further evident when
and Clinical Considerations
Bracken, noting that researchers now
edited by Bruce A. Bracken, Ph.D.; New York City, John Wiley & Sons, 1996,
generally agree that self-concept is not
539pages, $59.95
global but has multiple dimensions,
Lisa it Larson, MS.W. suggests they can next examine how
these dimensions are organized hierar-
entieth-century psychologists physical-and emphasizing children chically. But surely this “new frontier”
have been trying to measure self- and adolescents throughout. Chapters is already old territory. If indeed, as
concept ever since William James first contain voluminous references and Sartre argues and Bracken himself
argued that self-worth was a function of evaluative summaries ofvarious test in- quotes, the selfis not a static entity but
the relationship between the “I-self” strurnents, their subscales, and pat- a process, a continual projecting to-
and the “me-self,” the subjective terns of intercorrelation. Two chapters ward future possibilities, then existing
knower and agent who constructs the on “Future Directions in Self-Concept self-concept instruments are already
“objective” self along a number of di- Research” and “Clinical Applications of obsolete and must be replaced by ones
mensions (social, material, spiritual). In a Context-Dependent, Multidimen- suited to studying a self in perpetual
the Handbook of Self-Concept, editor sional Model of Self-Concept” con- motion, one that is changing even as it
Bruce Bracken laudably attempts to dude the book. An appendix lists doz- is being examined. This is clearly not
bring methodological coherence to a ens oftests used to study the six prima- the direction in which Bracken and
field of psychometric research glutted ry research domains, and a 17-page, others are headed.
with studies he believes “back any sort double-columned author index testi- Those engaged in research projects
ofcredibiity, are based on no theoreti- fies to the flurry of activity in this re- needing self-concept measurement in-
cal explanation of self-concept . . . ap- search area. struments will find direction and guid-
pear to relate little to behavior, and Although the book jacket suggests ance in Brackens text. But its value to
rarely survive the author’s article.” this volume will appeal to anyone in- others will lie primarily in the question
Arguing that historical failure is no trigued by the concept of selfhood, it its admittedly inconclusive chapters
reason to abandon the pursuit of self- will, in reality, appeal primarily to ac- unwittingly raise: can we ever capture,
concept measurement, Bracken offers tive self-concept researchers and their quantify, and hierarchically categorize
various researchers’ efforts to answer students. Other readers will be awed “the self”? Historically, the job of pen-
such unresolved questions as, Is there by the formidable psychometric detail, dering the meaning of selihood has
a global self-concept or only disparate, wearied by the stylistic and clinical been shouldered by poets and phioso-
contextually defined concepts? Is self- aridity, and left with the uneasy sense phers. On finishing Handbook of Self-
concept part of a cognitive self-system of a psychological subspecialty di- Concept, general mental health readers
or better understood as a behavioral vorced from the mental health main- will conclude that, at this point, psy-
phenomenon? How influential are so- stream. Ironically, the ostensibly clini- chornetrists dont have much to teach
ciodemographic variables to individual cal chapters demonstrate the ultimate them.
self-concept? How valuable are self- irrelevance of self-concept measure-
concept measures to clinical practice? ments to mental health treatment.
Handbook of Self-Concept opens Chapter 8, for example, is ifiled with
with two thought-provoking, though statements of the obvious (“Early close
A Handbook for
dryly written, chapters on the historical relationships are carried forward to lat-
roots of contemporary self-concept de- er close relationships”), and Brackens
Constructive Living
by David K Reynolds, Ph.D.; New
bates (for example, the relative merits sole case study reaches clinical recom-
York City, William Morrow & Corn-
of global or multidimensional mea- mendations that befit a counselor
pany, 1995, 324pages, $22
sures; the real versus the ideal self) and trained at the local bookstore’s self-
theoretical perspectives on the struc- help section.
JohnJ. Miller, M.D.
ture of self-concept (multidimensional Furthermore, one finds that self-con-
independent and correlated factor cept research remains equivocal on T his book evoked an array of re-
models; the compensatory model; even the common assumption that self- sponses from me depending on the
Brackens multidimensional, hierarchi- esteem affects academic achievement. perspective from which I was viewing
cal model). Next follow eight chapters And despite the 11,000 self-concept David Reynolds’ ideas. Dr. Reynolds
discussing self-concept from six prima- studies completed between 1974 and received his Ph.D. in anthropology
ry research domains-competence, so- 1992, we discover that “few re- from the University of California, Los
cial, affective, academic, family, and searchers have evaluated programs to Angeles, with a dissertation on Japan-
enhance the social self-concept of chil- ese psychotherapies. He has an im-
dren and adolescents,” suggesting pressive list of credentials, including
Ms. Larson is manager ofoutpatient men-
tal health services at Foote Hospital in again a pervasive lack of interest in the being the first foreigner to be honored
Jackson, Michigan actual clinical applications of research. with the Kora Prize, which is awarded

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August 1997 Vol. 48 No. 8 1091
BOOK REVIEWS

to Morita therapists by Japanese Mori- and do what needs to be done. . . . Ac- judgmental awareness of every mind-
ta therapists. However, it is unclear to ceptance doesnt mean you have to like moment invites an inquiry into the na-
me what his clinical experience has what reality presents to you.” ture of “seW’ that can lead to greater
been as a practitioner of Western psy- Naikan psychotherapy was devel- and greater degrees of openness to re-
chotherapies, which he so readily con- oped by Ishin Yoshirnoto (1916-1988) ality free of our personal agenda and
demns throughout the book. and provides the foundation for the re- defenses. The practice of Mindfulness
For instance, he says, “The perspec- flective aspect of Constructive Living. often leads to a deepening of compas-
tive on mental health promoted in Dr. Reynolds further states that “the sion, generosity, and empathy that can
American culture is flatout wrong in Naikan-inspired reflection assign- transform an individual’s self-image
very important ways” and “Profession- ments ofConstructive Living are based from one of self-centeredness to self-
abs in the field of medicine and mental on the three Naikan reflection themes: lessness, which can only serve to de-
health are skillful at talking as if they (a) What have I received from others? crease suffering for all involved.
understood the reasons why people do (b) What have I returned to others? (c) All in all, A Handbookfor Construe-
what they do. They use jargon and im- What troubles have I caused others?” tive Living is worth reading for the
pressive words to appear as though One application of the Constructive therapist interested in another cul-
they know what they dont.” Finally, Living model proposed by 1k Rey- ture’s approach to mental health, but I
“From the letters I receive and the con- nolds is that with Naikan reflection in- would recommend reading it with a
versations after my lectures, I believe dividuals who have been abused by healthy dose of skepticism.
that much of psychotherapy is not their parents should focus on their par-
merely a waste of time; it’s actually ents’ positive deeds toward them in-
harmful.” stead of on the feelings generated by
These are some pretty strong words the abuse. He encourages the Con-
llscwJANY
from someone whose main recommen- structive Living practitioner to discov-
dation is to “just do it!” and who mini- er the reasons that the abused person
Mental Health Reforms-
mizes the importance of feelings to fo- should ask the abuser for forgiveness
quarterlyjournalpublished by the
cus on a behavior-centered life. I for the inconveniences the abused per-
Geneva Initiative on Psychiatry
would invite him tojoin me for a day in son created by being a child who had to
my outpatient psychiatry practice sit- be fed and clothed by the abuser. In rny The Geneva Initiative is an interna-
ting with real patients who would love view this approach only serves to re- tional foundation that promotes re-
to be able to “just do it!” but cannot, victimize the abused individual, post- form in countries where the political
l)ecause of neuropsychiatric processes pone the emotional catharsis that is an abuse of psychiatry took place. The
that are often out of their conscious important step in the recovery process, foundatiorfs main field ofwork is Cen-
control. and reinforce the pattern ofthe victim’s trab and Eastern Europe and the for-
One major concern I have about A blaming himselfor herselffor the frau- mer Soviet Union. Among other activ-
Handbook for Constructive Living is ma and idealizing the perpetrator. ities, it supports psychiatric associa-
that some individuals may consider A positive theme woven throughout tions that function independently of
themselves a failure when they cannot the book can be summarized as devel- government and give priority to pa-
“just do it.” This feeling could increase oping greater degrees of awareness of tients’ needs, and it supports the de-
their already self-critical nature and how we are interconnected with and velopment of relatives’ and patients’
their tendency to blame themselves for are an integral part of reality. Although associations and projects that destig-
the symptoms that they think they it is not specifically mentioned, some of matize psychiatry.
should be able to heal themselves. the Constructive Living exercises over- The journal’s issue number 1 for
Dr. Reynolds’ model for Construc- lap significantly with the practice of 1997 includes reports on Ukrainian
tive Living evolved out of two types of Mindfulness, a form of meditation that psychiatric facilities and on the estab-
Japanese psychotherapy, Morita and is rooted in Buddhism and has found lishment of a school to train the first
Naikan. Morita psychotherapy was de- its way into traditional medical settings professional social workers in Ukraine,
veloped by Masatake Morita (1874- in various forms of psychotherapy as a draft ofa model ethical code for psy-
1938), and it provides the basis for the well as into stress reduction clinics. Dr. chiatrists in countries represented by
action orientation of Constructive Liv- Reynolds states that “the process of the Network of Reformers in Psychia-
ing. Dr. Reynolds states that “The acting with full attention is essential to try, and the latest guidelines of the
three themes of Constructive Living living a constructive life” and that World Psychiatric Association for the
action can be summarized as accept re- “each new moment is a marvel. Each ethical practice of psychiatry. Sub-
ality, know your purpose (objective), emerging thought and word is a won- scriptions are $40 (or the equivalent
drous event.” in other currencies) from Geneva mi-
In this area his book offers good tiative Publishers, P0. Box 1282,
Dr Miller is a psychiatrist with Elder Ser- practical advice about and exercises in 1200 BG Hilversum, the Netherlands
vices of North Essex Mental Health Cen- how to deepen one’s awareness. The (fax, 011-31-35-6833646; e-mail, gip@
ters in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and
development of sustained, alert, non- euronet.nl).
is in prirate practice in Newburijport.

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August 1997 Vol. 48 No. 8