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Early American Psychology

Early American Psychology. Rise of the American University. Early 1800's: goal of universities Mid-1800's: A shift occurred. 1862: Morrill Act. Gave states federal land and support to build state agricultural schools Instruction on mining, agriculture, industry, etc.

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Early American Psychology

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  1. Early American Psychology

  2. Rise of the American University • Early 1800's: goal of universities • Mid-1800's: A shift occurred

  3. 1862: Morrill Act • Gave states federal land and support to build state agricultural schools • Instruction on mining, agriculture, industry, etc. • Result: establishment of state colleges

  4. Vassar 1861 • 1st College for women

  5. Cornell 1865 • First Liberal Arts college

  6. Graduate Degrees • Ph.D. became an important degree • Most US colleges not qualified to award such degrees

  7. William James (b. 1842)

  8. Much traveling as a child • Brother was Henry James the novelist • Painting, chemistry, biology, medicine, physiology, psychology, philosophy • Became instructor in anatomy at Harvard

  9. The Metaphysical Society • Informal group that discussed philosophical problems of the day • Charles Pierce's Pragmatism (a philosophy of science) • Emphasizes results rather than method • Embraces various methodological methods to arrive at an end • Emphasis on the function of an idea

  10. James and Free Will • "The Will to Believe“ • Advocated inductive, empirical methods • Wanted to resolve Darwin's biology with religious commitment

  11. James: Back and Forth at Harvard • 1875: started teaching Psychology course in physiology department • 1880: moved to Philosophy department • 1889: named professor of Psychology • 1897: moved back to Philosophy

  12. Principles of Psychology (1890) • 1400 pages "The James" • 500 pages "The Jimmy" • People thought that his style was "too brilliant"

  13. General Issues from the Principles of Psychology • "Psychology is the science of mental life." • Experience must be described in both physical and mental terms • Stressed brain functions in accounting for mental experiences • Mind is a "process" that is personal, changing, continuous, and selective – a “stream” of consciousness • Advocated an empirical study of the mind in terms of the mind's functions

  14. Specific Issues

  15. James: What is Consciousness? • Consciousness is like a river: it passes before us • Possible to be aware of time passing without focusing on anything in particular • Consciousness is selective; attention is focused more on some aspects of experience than others • Attention is the way we exercise our will • Consciousness evolved because it has a function, which is to aid in adaptation • Consciousness is purposeful

  16. Habits • Habit - a well-learned pattern of behavior resulting from establishing an anatomical substrate of habit pathway in the brain • How to remove habits?

  17. Instinct • We have more instincts than other animals • Instincts obscured by learning • Instinct causes interest in an object

  18. Emotions • James-Lange Theory of Emotion • Stimulus triggers a bodily reaction, then this reaction triggers the emotion • Schachter & Singer (1962) - 2-factor theory of emotion

  19. James's Contributions • Away from structuralist concepts • “Middle road" between mind and body • Principles of Psychology • Students & Associates • Hugo Munsterberg, Santayana, Gertrude Stein, Thorndike, Woodworth, Angell • He excited people about psychology; did little research himself, though

  20. Hugo Munsterberg (b. 1863) • Student of Wundt • 1897: arrived at Harvard • Responsibility for graduate students and experimental lab • Munsterberg and WWI

  21. Munsterberg: Father of Applied Psychology • He got psychology out of "ivory tower” • Wrote books for general public • “Eternal Values” 1907 link • “On the Witness Stand” 1908 link • “Psychology and the Teacher” 1909 link • “Psychotherapy” 1910 link • “Psychology & Industrial Efficiency” 1913 link

  22. Overall Contributions • Father of industrial psychology • Applied work on: • Psychotherapy • Eyewitness testimony • Gender/ethnic differences

  23. G. Stanley Hall (b. 1844) • 1stAmerican student to work with Wundt • James’ first Ph.D. student • 1883: Johns Hopkins; 1888: Clark University • Produces large # of Psych Ph.D.s over next 20 years • Monday evening meetings

  24. American Psychological Association • 1892: founded APA (elected president)

  25. Journals • 1887: Journal of American Psychology • 1904: Journal of Religious Psychology • 1915: Journal of Applied Psychology

  26. 1909 Conference on Psychoanalysis

  27. James McKeenCattell (b. 1860) • 1886: Ph.D. from Wundt • 1891: Columbia University • Produced many Ph.D.s • 1894: Psychological Review • 1900: Popular Science Monthly PSM • Research on reaction time and mental tests • Experiments on intoxicating drugs • Eugenics advocate

  28. James Mark Baldwin (b. 1861) • Studied with Wundt • 1889: U. of Toronto • 1893: Princeton • 1903-1908: Johns Hopkins • Psychological Review with Cattell • Other journals: Psychological Index, Psychological Monographs, Psychological Bulletin • Some work in developmental psychology - Influenced Piaget

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