Lect2_American_MM_2024 - Tagged

PS1101 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY

Overview

• Lecture led by: Dr. Marta Mangiarulo

• Contact email: mm888@le.ac.uk

Summary of Last Week

• Philosophy of Education in Germany: Focused on the ideas of Wissenschaft (science) and Bildung (education).

• Foundations of Experimental Psychology:

  • Weber's Contributions: Introduced two-point thresholds and Weber’s law.

  • Fechner’s Methods: Developed ways to measure absolute and difference thresholds.

  • Wundt (1879): Set up the first psychology lab, studying immediate conscious experience and sensation.

  • Mental Chronometry: Introduced by Donders, this studies how long mental processes take.

  • Ebbinghaus: Researched memory using nonsense syllables and looked at what affects memory retention.

  • Müller & Pilzecker: Studied how memory is consolidated.

Today's Lecture

• Key People in American Psychology:

  • Francis Sumner: First African-American to earn a PhD in psychology.

  • William James: Wrote The Principles of Psychology (1890), introduced introspection and the James-Lange theory of emotions.

  • G. Stanley Hall: Helped to make psychology a profession in the U.S. and started the first American psychology lab.

  • Mary Whiton Calkins: First woman president of the APA (American Psychological Association).

  • Other Contributions: Work by Christine Ladd-Franklin, Margaret Floy Washburn, George Trumbull Ladd, and James Mark Baldwin.

Psychology in Nineteenth-Century America

• Faculty Psychology: Based on Scottish realism, it viewed the mind as having various faculties shaped by nurturing.

• Education System Evolution: After the Civil War, land-grant universities promoted research. Key institutions included Johns Hopkins, Clark, Stanford, and Chicago.

• Education for Minorities: Limited chances for education led to the creation of historically black colleges focused on teacher training.

Francis Sumner (1895-1954)

• Achievements:

  • First African-American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology from Clark University.

  • Studied race psychology and biases in the justice system.

  • Built a significant psychology program at Howard University.

William James (1842-1910)

• Early Life and Education:

  • His informal education was influenced by travel and his father’s multilingual teaching.

  • Earned an M.D. from Harvard but struggled with materialism.

• Major Works and Theories:

  • The Principles of Psychology (1890): Allowed introspection without strict rules (unlike Wundt and Titchener). Promoted multiple methods beyond lab work and introduced the idea of stream of consciousness as dynamic.

  • James-Lange Theory of Emotion: Suggested that emotional responses are due to physiological changes in the body, needing unique physiological reactions for different emotions.

• Contributions to Psychology:

  • Established functionalism as an important school of thought.

  • Highlighted practical uses for psychological concepts.

  • Investigated how psychology intersects with spirituality, causing some disagreements with peers.

  • Wrote Varieties of Religious Experience.

G. Stanley Hall (1844-1924)

• Professionalization of Psychology:

  • Earned a Ph.D. in psychology at Harvard and opened the first experimental lab in the U.S. (1883).

  • Started the American Journal of Psychology (1887).

  • Helped create the American Psychological Association (1892).

• Contributions at Clark University:

  • Specialized in child and adolescent psychology, combining evolutionary ideas with his studies.

  • Organized an influential conference in 1909 at Clark University, featuring Freud and Jung.

Noteworthy Women in Psychology

• Mary Whiton Calkins:

  • Studied under William James but did not receive a degree because she was a woman.

  • First female president of the APA in 1905.

• Christine Ladd-Franklin:

  • Completed her Ph.D. in mathematics but faced challenges getting recognition due to her gender.

  • Made important contributions to color theory and visual perception.

• Margaret Floy Washburn:

  • First woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology (Cornell, 1894).

  • Known for her work in comparative psychology and animal behavior.

  • Served as APA president in 1921.

• Other Influential Figures:

  • George Trumbull Ladd: Renowned textbook author who helped transition to laboratory psychology.

  • James Mark Baldwin: Developed theories about cognitive development and social identity.

Historical Milestones in Psychological Laboratories

• Overview of Established Psychology Labs:

  • 1875: U.S. - William James

  • 1879: Germany - Wilhelm Wundt

  • 1883: U.S. - G. Stanley Hall

Conclusion: Understanding Nineteenth-Century Psychology

• Understanding psychology's philosophical roots and its development as an academic field.

• Recognizing the variety of methods and approaches among early psychologists.

• Acknowledging how historical figures shaped psychology as a profession and academic discipline.