Edward Titchner and Munsterberg

1. Edward Titchner and Munsterberg

2. Very philosophical – not a truly separate science Most important “psychologists” was William James who saw himself as more a philosopher This changed when two of Wundt’s students came to the U. S. Edward Titchner Hugo Munsterberg 1880 American psychology

3. Titchner regarded as a major foundation of psychology Most people have never heard of Munsterberg or know little about him Why? Titchner was British; Munsterberg was German Titchner a more flashier person The most read history of psychology promoted Titchner’s importance Many of Munsterberg’s ideas and papers angered certain groups in society History, Titchner, and Munsterberg

4. Titchner credited with bringing the true scientific perspective to American psychology He brought his interpretation of Wundt’s psychology to the U.S. He appeared to be a follower of Wundt and it was assumed their psychology was the same – it wasn’t Founder of structuralism American psychology and Titchner

5. Early part of the 20th century, Titchner was the most important psychologist in the U.S. Highly authoritarian - ruled his students education, research, and private lives His program had a large drop out rate due to his absolute control and demand for absolute loyalty But also because of his emphasis on independent learning American psychology and Titchner

6. Psychology should be studied like other sciences and all science study begins with experience The subject of psychology is our experience and is dependent upon the experiencing person Titchner’s psychology - Structuralism

7. What are the basic elements of experience? How do these basic elements combine into mental processes? Why do these processes occur the way they do? Look for and identify causal relationships Questions to be answered by psychology

8. Introspection – highly trained inner observation of mental activity Exclude all possible topics that cannot be studied using introspection Study of psychology according to Titchner was very rigid and narrow Psychological method of study

9. Everything that occurs in consciousness can be reduced to sensation, images and feelings Sensations – humans could experience thousands of different sensations (32,820 visual sensations. Images – psychologically the same as sensations Feelings – emotional reactions that accompany certain mental experiences Basis of Structuralism

10. Common belief – attention is something that allows us to perceive certain things more clearly, to focus our attention. Titchner – rejected this idea because his system of introspection didn’t give description of attention Attention does bring sensations or ideas to the foreground and dims others, but it is not a part of consciousness Example – What is attention?

11. His rigidity of what was to be studied and how it was to be studied excluded much of what other psychologists wanted to study. Problems with introspection – reporting changes in consciousness while changes are occurring interferes with consciousness He tried to answer this issue through replication Problems with Titchner’s structuralism

12. Rejected most of what other psychologist felt was an important part of psychology Mental testing Educational psychology Individual differences Mental health His personality Overbearing Arrogant While he graduated many students, most abandoned introspection after recognizing problems with it Example Other problems

13. Very unusual that two individuals who studied under the same person would have such different theoretical perspective Wundt had the all the power to accept or reject dissertations Titchner no problem because it was in line with Wundt’s positions Munsterberg had his 1st rejected – didn’t agree with Wundt Titchner and Munsterberg

14. Advocated a broad science of psychology that studied many aspects of human behavior Munsterberg much more flexible and personable Interested in mental health, forensic psychology, and industrial psychology Did not see himself as a clinical psychologist Munsterberg as the antithesis of Titchner

15. Psychotherapy (1909) – defined the role of psychiatry and psychotherapy directly challenged the ideas of Freud Opposed a general approach to mental illness On the Witness Stand (1908) – application of psychology to the courts Problems with eye witness testimony and questioning techniques Women should be excluded from juries because they are incapable of rational discussion Psychology and Industrial Efficiency (1913) Contributions

16. Part intelligence part being in the right place Came to Harvard when William James wanted to get out of experimental work U.S. wanted practical contributions from science Munsterberg’s original success

17. He was German and attempted to promote Germany and Germans as good just prior to WWI when most Americans pro-British Reported that women were incapable of rational discussion when the women’s suffrage movement was gaining strength. Trashed the legal system and their handling of witnesses He became very unpopular for not being “politically correct” Munsterberg’s decline in importance