Lesson 11 - Key Figures in American Psychology and Their Contributions

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John Locke

Believed: Knowledge comes from experience; emphasized introspection, consciousness, and perception.

John Locke

Impact: His ideas laid the groundwork for American psychology's empirical and introspective roots during colonial times.

Thomas Reid

Known for: Scottish Common Sense Philosophy.

Thomas Reid

Believed: Sensory information is trustworthy; morality is based on self-evident intuitions.

Thomas Reid

Impact: Helped shape intellectual philosophy in the U.S.; supported introspection as a valid tool.

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Charles-Bernard Renouvier

Believed: Strongly in free will—that people are in control of their thoughts.

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William James

Known for: Father of American Psychology and Functionalism.

William James

Beliefs: Consciousness is personal, continuous, changing, and selective.

William James

Beliefs: Habits shape behavior; early choices 'set' character.

James-Lange; William James

Beliefs: _______ Theory of Emotion: Emotions follow physiological reactions.

William James

Beliefs: The Self has material, social, and spiritual parts.

William James

Beliefs: Advocated for pragmatism - truth is what works.

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William James

Impact: Opposed Wundt and Titchener's focus on elements of consciousness.

William James

Impact: Inspired Functionalism, which influenced applied and educational psychology.

Hugo Münsterberg

Known for: Founder of Applied Psychology.

Hugo Münsterberg

Beliefs: Rejected will as a cause of action; believed behavior causes thought.

Hugo Münsterberg

Beliefs: Denied the unconscious: 'There is none.'

Hugo Münsterberg

Impact: Pioneered clinical, forensic, and industrial psychology.

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Hugo Münsterberg

Impact: Predicted lie detection through physiological responses (led to the polygraph).

Mary Whiton Calkins

Known for: First female president of APA; developed Self-Psychology.

Mary Whiton Calkins

Beliefs: Focused on the conscious self and its relation to environment.

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Mary Whiton Calkins

Impact: Introduced paired-associate learning technique in memory research.

Mary Whiton Calkins

Impact: Advanced female presence in psychology despite systemic barriers.

G. Stanley Hall

Known for: Founder of Developmental Psychology.

G. Stanley Hall

Beliefs: Supported recapitulation theory - human development mirrors species evolution.

G. Stanley Hall

Beliefs: Adolescence is a time of storm and stress.

G. Stanley Hall

Impact: Founded the APA, brought Freud and Jung to the U.S.

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G. Stanley Hall

Impact: Emphasized evolutionary perspective in psychology and education.