Review of The Psychology of Wants, Interests and Attitudes by Edward L. Thorndike
Herbert Blumer
The Psychology of Wants, Interests and Attitudes. By EDWARD L. THORNDIKE. New York: Appleton-Century Co., 1935. Pp. x+301. $3.50.
This excellent treatise by a distinguished psychologist seeks to present with
the liberal use of experimental findings a theory of the manner in which wants,
interests, and attitudes are formed. The thesis presented, stated tersely, is
that the emotional and appetitive activities of human beings are the result of a
process of repetition and reward. To establish in an individual a desire, want,
interest, or attitude, one must induce in him the desired response and then
reward this response. With this conception, Thorndike indicates what he regards
to be the deficiencies of the usual run of theories of habit formation. This
volume will well merit serious consideration by students of social psychology.
HERBERT BLUMER
University of Chicago
