Letters to the Editor: Karen Bass’ scholarship problem looks bad. Don’t ignore it. I’d like to comment on the scholarship problem. I have a question about Bass’s book. This book is the last of her three, so it’s not really fair to criticize her for not having more books. In every respect Karen is to be commended. She is, as always, an excellent writer and a wonderful teacher. I would like to commend her to each and every one of my former students. They are excellent students who deserve to have a fine teacher. I do not think that Karen is the greatest writer in this area of psychology, but she is the most capable. On this subject she is not guilty of sloppy scholarship. I do not want to criticize her scholarship, but I would like to comment on the question of why her book is the last of her three. Why not go forward? It is because I believe that she has done a good job, and her success confirms it. We like to think that we can learn from her students. Some of them are outstanding, some of them are not so outstanding, but we like to think that we are learning from them and that some of them will write books on research. If we are wrong in that, let’s just put it behind us and move on. I think that her success supports that, but I do not have a problem with her writing. If she were writing non-fiction I would have a problem with it, but I do not think that she is, or will ever be. I have asked her to write another book and I will be happy to take it from her when it is complete and can be published. I have no doubt that she would be the first to defend it against those who do not like it, but she is willing to do it, so I will be the first to stand behind it when it’s done. Karen Bass, you should be commended. Your scholarship is excellent and I wish you the best of luck with the future.
–John L. Gavigan, Ph.D.
My son’s doctor has become concerned about the decline in the quality of the students he is teaching. The student’s problem, apparently, is an inability to apply what he or she has learned in class. He is convinced that a book published over a decade ago, by one of the brightest young psychologists, will be a major turning point for this field, and is working with a graduate student at Cornell to prepare a book