The degree of success attained3 by any such attempt at Science and reconstruction readjustment on a large scale to changed standards and conditions, must to a very considerable extent depend upon the advance that is achieved by, and the application that is made of, the various branches of science dealing4 with the phenomena5 of human life in all its aspects. Biology, physiology6, medicine, hygiene7, economics, politics, law and education must all contribute their share to the solution of the great problem of reconstituting human society upon a satisfactory peace footing. Above all perhaps, it is to the science of the human mind that we should most naturally turn for enlightenment in dealing with many of the most important aspects of this problem.
Unfortunately it so happens that Psychology8 is among the The present status of Psychology youngest of the sciences; its state of development, in comparison with that of many other disciplines, is as yet in no wise commensurate with the relative importance for human welfare of the problems with which it is concerned. Conscious of this[2] disproportion between our present knowledge and the weight of the matters that are at stake in any application of psychological theory to practical affairs, many leading psychologists have preferred to postpone9 any attempt at such application until the more important results of recent research, many of which are still matter for controversy10, shall have been firmly established upon a wider and more unassailable foundation.
Perhaps as a consequence of this attitude (praiseworthy no doubt in itself), and of its effects—direct and indirect—upon psychological outlook and procedure, there exists at the present time a fairly widespread notion that Psychology is largely a matter of empty speculations11 or trivial technicalities, "a happy refuge for the lazy industry of pedants[2]," as a well known author has recently called it, with little or no bearing upon the larger problems of human life and conduct. It would appear, however, that the war—with its urgent call for immediate12 practical action—may have proved the means of inducing The application of Psychology to practical problems psychologists to adopt a less academic attitude in the pursuit of their science; of compelling them to carry out a stocktaking of the results already achieved with a view to ascertaining13 which, if any, are of a nature to throw light upon the actual problems of the time, and to work out in detail the application of psychological principles to these problems in all cases where such application promises to be of importance. Thus, immediately following upon the entrance of the United States into the war, the psychological resources of that country were mobilised by the American Psychological Association with a view to the immediate investigation14 of urgent questions affecting the conduct of the war. Under a central committee there were constituted no less than twelve subcommittees, each in charge of a special field and each acting15 under the chairmanship of a psychologist of special eminence16 in that field. Previous to this there had already been formed in this country a War Research Committee of the Psychological Subsection of the British Association to deal with problems of practical and theoretical importance connected with, or arising out of, the war. Assistance on a considerable scale in a variety of matters of direct military importance has also been rendered by several of the psychological laboratories attached to the Universities of the United Kingdom.
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It is perhaps, however, more especially on the medical side that the question of the utilisation of psychological knowledge Medical Applications of Psychology for practical purposes has been brought into prominence17 by the war. The very large number of soldiers and civilians18 suffering from war-shock in its various forms has emphasised the need for psychological treatment of the functional19 nervous disorders20; and has drawn21 further attention to the various methods of treatment by suggestion, re-education, psycho-analysis and other psycho-therapeutic measures, which even before the war were beginning to attract widespread interest. The work that had been done by these methods before the war had indicated that there existed a very considerable prevalence of nervous troubles even among those who were apparently22 subjected to no abnormally high degree of mental strain. The examination of many cases of war neuroses has shown that there is little if any qualitative23 difference between the case of those who break down under the abnormal pressure of war conditions and the War-shock case of those who are unable to stand even the relatively24 mild stresses and difficulties incidental to a time of peace. All persons are, it would appear, liable to suffer nervous breakdown25 if subjected to emotional strain beyond a certain limit; this limit varying, however, very considerably26 from one individual to another. Modern war increases to some degree the strain to be borne by almost everyone, the increase being very great in the case of those actually engaged in fighting; as a consequence the limit is passed, and some form of nervous disability or breakdown occurs in a large number of persons who would have remained unaffected during peace.
The amount of strain that can be actually borne with impunity27 by any individual is no doubt dependent upon a considerable Psychic28 integration29 number of complex conditions. Recent research has shown that among the psychological conditions one of quite special importance is constituted by the general state of integration of the motive30 forces of the mind. A person whose instincts and impulses are co-ordinated sufficiently31 to maintain, as regards all the leading aspects of life, a relatively harmonious32 functioning of the whole personality, can preserve mental health in circumstances under which a less integrated mind would fail, owing to the waste of energy occasioned by the internal struggles of the conflicting tendencies and emotions aroused in situations of difficulty or[4] Importance of correct mental development danger. The attainment33 of the desirable degree of mental integration is itself very largely dependent upon a process of successful mental growth and development, in the course of which the conflicting tendencies and motives34 (of which the mind is so largely made up) so modify and mould each other as to permit of the proper discharge of psychical35 energy along all suitable channels without undue36 friction37 or inhibition. Great importance attaches, therefore, from the point of view of mental efficiency and stability in adult life, to the influences which control the development of the conative trends during childhood and adolescence38.
It is to the consideration of one of the most potent39 of these Family influences influences that the present pages are devoted40. Even on a superficial view it is fairly obvious that, under existing social conditions the psychological atmosphere of the home life with the complex emotions and sentiments aroused by, and dependent on, the various family relationships must exercise a very considerable effect on human character and development. Recent advances in the study of human conduct indicate that this effect is even greater than has been generally supposed: it would seem that, in adopting his attitude towards the members of his family circle, a child is at the same time determining to a large extent some of the principal aspects of his relations to his fellow men in general; and that an individual's outlook and point of view in dealing with many of the most important questions of human existence can be expressed in terms of the position he has taken up with regard to the problems and difficulties arising within the relatively narrow world of the family.
Besides showing the importance for mental development of their importance, difficulty, and complexity41 the problems connected with family life, modern psychological research has also revealed something of the nature of these problems. It is true that of the results obtained in this field there are as yet few, if any, which can be regarded as definitely settled; many, no doubt, will, in the light of future work, be seen to require more or less extensive revision, qualification or addition; some perhaps may have to be rejected altogether. Nevertheless it would appear that, as a consequence of the work already done, certain main principles at least have emerged so clearly as to justify42, if not indeed to demand, the serious attention of all those who, at this critical period of human[5] history, have to deal directly or indirectly43 with questions affecting family life in one or more of its numerous aspects. The sociologist44, the moralist, the spiritual adviser45, the teacher, the family physician and the parent are all intimately concerned with such questions; and it is primarily with the needs of such as these in view that the present brief exposition of the subject has been undertaken. After what has been already said, it is perhaps unnecessary to offer any further warning against accepting all the results of psychological investigation which are here set forth46 as claiming equal validity or as being equally capable of generalisation or application on a large scale. No dogmatic enunciation47 of facts or principles is here attempted or desired, even where, owing to the endeavour to avoid entering upon the discussion of matters too intricate or controversial to fall within the scope of our present treatment, the statements may possibly appear somewhat dogmatic in form. Our aim is rather to produce a more widespread realisation of the immense and far-reaching significance of the psychological problems connected with family life; to indicate some of the ways in which psychological knowledge has thrown light upon the solutions of these problems; and perhaps, by these means, to be of some assistance to that very large class of persons who, at one time or another during their lives, find themselves compelled to deal with such problems—whether as entering into their own lives, as affecting others for whom they are responsible, or as forming part of larger questions, social, religious, medical or pedagogic, in which they have an interest. To those who have once realised the complexity, the obscurity, and above all the tremendous intensity48 of the psychic factors entering into these problems, there can be little doubt that in so far as Psychology is able to afford some reasonably sure guidance as to their solution, it will have achieved one of the most successful and valuable of all applications of science to social and ethical49 phenomena. The time for such application on a large scale has not yet come. But the progress that has been already made would seem to indicate that the expectation of some very real assistance in these matters from the science of Psychology is no longer hopeless.
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1
reconstruction
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| n.重建，再现，复原 | |
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ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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physiology
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| n.生理学，生理机能 | |
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hygiene
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| n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic） | |
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psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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prominence
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| n.突出；显著；杰出；重要 | |
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civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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functional
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| adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的 | |
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disorders
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| n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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qualitative
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| adj.性质上的，质的，定性的 | |
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relatively
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| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
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breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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impunity
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| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
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psychic
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| n.对超自然力敏感的人；adj.有超自然力的 | |
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integration
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| n.一体化，联合，结合 | |
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30
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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psychical
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| adj.有关特异功能现象的；有关特异功能官能的；灵魂的；心灵的 | |
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undue
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| adj.过分的；不适当的；未到期的 | |
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friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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adolescence
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| n.青春期，青少年 | |
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potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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complexity
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| n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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sociologist
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| n.研究社会学的人，社会学家 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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enunciation
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| n.清晰的发音；表明，宣言；口齿 | |
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48
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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49
ethical
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| adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的 | |
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