The Nature of Remembering: Essays in Honor of Robert G. Crowder

RICHARD M. WAUGAMAN
2003 American Journal of Psychiatry  
This book on psychological theories of and research on memory is based on a conference held in 1999 in honor of Robert Crowder, a prominent Yale psychologist who died the following year. He comes back to life quite appealingly as his former students and colleagues intersperse reminiscences about him in the course of their widely varying presentations. Crowder demonstrated the trait of generativity described by Erik Erikson in that he encouraged and contributed to the work of many other
more » ... ists doing memory studies. Crowder seemed unusually free of "confirmatory bias"-he welcomed research that disproved some of his own theories. Rather than hiding behind the anonymity granted peer reviewers of journal submissions, he routinely signed his reviews. Many of the contributors to this book seem to emulate Crowder's integrity, openness to new ideas, and willingness to challenge orthodoxy. unlikely trio to share a label. Nevertheless, to Donald's consciousness, they are all hardliners. And solipsists to boot. What, then, sets Donald apart? "Consciousness," of course, is a term that is defined in several different ways. Donald has an interesting chapter in which he discusses it as a state of awareness, a place in mind (the "architectural approach"), and a representation that is dependent on symbolization. Nevertheless, Donald uses the term "consciousness" loosely, as something developing through evolution but then crossing something of a consciousness divide in human beings.
doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.160.2.396 fatcat:cbgnueukdjhhlera3mtx5vd7aq