Tâche, Réussite et Échec: Théorie de la conduite humaine by Joseph Nuttin (review)

fl90 BOOK REVIEWS the grace of this sacrament adapts itself in a remarkable way to the needs of the individual soul-a truth which can apply equally to all the sacraments. The final chapter of the book deals with eternal life in Christ and covers a wide field, including the judgment, purgatory, limbo and heaven. English College Valladolid, Spain DAVID L. GREENSTOCK Tacke, Reussite et Echec: Theorie de la conduite humaine. By JOSEPH NuTTIN. Louvain: Publications Universitaires, 1953. Pp. 530. This work by the distinguished psychologist of Louvain aims at the development of a comprehensive theory of human conduct by utilizing the data of experimental and clinical psychology. This data is envisaged impartially without any prejudicial conceptions of what psychology or human behavior ought to be. For this reason, this work of Professor Nuttin, as well as his previous work, is genuinely scientific, for it is objective, critical and free of pre-conceived ideas. The experiments are cleverly devised and carefully evaluated. But the author likewise shows that the existing literature on his topic and related topics has been carefully considered; here one notes with gratification a thorough acquaintance with recent American publications. Moreover this work is by no means restricted to the.findings with which a so-called " objective " or " scientific " psychology is accustomed -or perhaps one should say, was accustomed-to be satisfied. The author points out that his approach and his view of man as placed within a situation or world differs from the approach and view of certain contemporary philosophies which emphasize that one of the constitutive aspects of the human being is to exist in a world. Nevertheless it seems evident that these new movements in philosophy and philosophical anthropology have exercised a certain influence. Continental medical psychology has in fact responded to these suggestions of the new philosophies much more than general or experimental psychology. Moreover, two studies have recently been published here dealing with these matters: Stern's work on Sartre's philosophy and psychoanalysis and Sonneman's Existence and Therapy which discusses Heidegger's ideas and Binswanger's application of them to therapy. The psychiatrist or psychotherapist becomes aware in his daily dealing with clients of the intricate relations existing between the individual and his world. Now this work's experimental investigations and their analysis show that these problems can also be approached from the standpoint of general psychology. Thus Professor Nuttin's treatise is important not only to the philosopher who is concerned with the problems of human nature in general, its motivation and conduct but also to the BOOK REVIEWS 291 psychologist whether he is occupied only with the speculative problem or whether he intends to apply his scientific insights to the practical problems of therapy or education. Most particularly, however, this work is important to the last class, to those whose task it is to advise others, to direct, and if need be, to correct the behavior of others. In the work itself, the author explains that human behavior depends first of all on the idea or image a person has of himself; it is this conception of self which determines a man's outlook on his situation and his possibilities. Secondly, the results· of his actions react on this self-conception. Here it is not the mere repetition of trial and error, nor the mechanism of establishing an "S-R bond" or any similar process conceived more or less on the pattern of physical reaction which determines human conduct. It is the manner in which the individual evaluates his prior experiences and the shaping of his self-conception by his knowledge of success or failure which plays the most important role. Since an exhaustive report on the findings and the analysis of the findings contained in this work is impossible, it will be sufficient here to indicate the field covered, which can be gleaned from the titles of the various parts of the work. The introduction outlines some general viewpoints: the determination of conduct by the personality and by the results attained, both factors interfering with each other. Part I deals with the effect success has on personality. Here it is shown that the subject's interpretation of...