A History of Modern Psychology
A History of Modern Psychology - Study Notes
Chapter Objectives
Post-Chapter Skills:
Describe events of the 1960s that reignited interest in psychology's history.
Explain the importance of understanding history in general.
Discuss specific reasons why psychology students should grasp the history of their field.
Articulate the distinctions between "old" and "new" history as defined by Furumoto.
Define and explain the function of origin myths in historical narratives.
Distinguish between presentist and historicist viewpoints of history and the risks associated with presentist interpretations.
Differentiate between internal and external histories of psychology, detailing the advantages of each.
Contrast personalistic and naturalistic approaches to history.
Define historiography and outline the various selection and interpretation challenges faced by historians.
Provide insight into how historical analysis can lead to a belief that truth may be attained.
Importance of Studying History
Historical Lessons:
Hegel’s assertion that nations do not learn from history emphasizes skepticism about our ability to benefit from historical knowledge.
Boring’s metaphor: “the seats on the train of progress all face backward” indicates our limited predictive ability based on past experiences.
Understanding the Present:
Despite the limitations of historical foresight, Boring notes that historical knowledge significantly enriches our comprehension of contemporary issues.
Example: David McCullough's analogy about knowing a loved one’s background illustrates that historical context adds depth to relationships.
Relevance of History in Psychology
Psychology as a Young Science:
Modern psychology is inextricably linked to its historical evolution, addressing recurring issues such as the nature vs. nurture debate.
The study of history enhances critical thinking and provides a cohesive view of a diverse and evolving field.
Students often find historical exploration of psychology to be inherently interesting.
Key Issues in Psychology's History
Old vs. New History:
Old History (according to Furumoto, 1989): Focuses on significant individuals, moments, and achievements, emphasizing the cumulative progress within the discipline. It perpetuates origin myths.
New History: Contextualizes psychology within broader historical frameworks, adopting a critical rather than celebratory tone. This approach contrasts with older methodologies by leaning towards historicism, external influences, and naturalistic perspectives.
Presentism vs. Historicism
Presentism:
Interpretation of historical events through contemporary lenses, risking anachronistic judgments (e.g., assessing Gordon Allport’s terminology using modern sensibilities).
Historicism:
Involves situating historical events within their specific cultural and temporal contexts, aiming for a more nuanced understanding.
Dangers of Presentism:
It often leads to overcritical assessments of historical figures based on modern understanding (e.g., Bob Dylan’s reception at the Newport Folk Festival).
Internal vs. External History
Internal History: Focuses on the evolution of psychological theories, often neglecting external influences that have shaped the discipline.
External History: Emphasizes the impact of social, cultural, and economic factors on the development of psychology. Recognizes the interconnectedness of thoughts and societal contexts.
Importance of Balance: Both historical perspectives provide crucial insights. An example includes the emergence of cognitive psychology, where internal factors (issues in behaviorism) and external influences (advancements in computer science) combined to shape the field.
Personalistic vs. Naturalistic Approaches
Personalistic History:
Concentrates on influential individuals and their contributions to history (e.g., Freud, Skinner); this approach identifies historical periods based on key figures.
Naturalistic History:
Argues that individuals are shaped by broader historical forces rather than acting autonomously. Boring endorsed this viewpoint, suggesting that understanding context is essential for grasping historical developments.
Multiples indicate scenarios where similar ideas emerge independently, exemplified by Darwin and Wallace developing the same evolutionary theories.
Psychology’s Iconic Historian: E.G. Boring (1886-1968)
Educational Background: Earned a PhD under E.B. Titchener at Cornell in 1914.
Career Highlights: Spent the majority of his career at Harvard, published A History of Experimental Psychology (1929, revised 1950), which became a pivotal text in the field.
Contributions: Boring was a pioneer in educational media, promoting a naturalistic view of historical psychology.
Boring’s Naturalistic Perspective
Zeitgeist: Refers to the intellectual, political, and cultural climate of specific historical moments, where historical forces shape individuals.
Understanding history necessitates recognizing the intersections between individuals and their environments; both personalistic and naturalistic views enhance historical comprehension.
Historiography: The Art of Historical Analysis
Distinction: "the past" is not the same as "history"; history involves interpretation of the past.
Sources of Historical Data:
Primary Sources: Original records such as diaries, letters, and official documents.
Secondary Sources: Analyzes or summarizes events published in scholarly literature or media.
Challenges in Historical Writing
Data Selection Issues:
Selecting significant information from a wealth of historical data requires guiding hypotheses and research questions.
Missing Data:
Historians may encounter gaps in data which complicate accurate interpretations.
Interpretation Problems:
Individual biases influence how historians perceive and convey historical facts, necessitating continual revision of history based on new insights and reinterpretations of existing knowledge.
Chapter Objectives
Key skills include describing the 1960s resurgence of interest in psychology's history, justifying why psychology students need historical context, and distinguishing between historical lenses like presentism vs. historicism or internal vs. external history.
Importance of History
Learning from the Past: While Hegel was skeptical of nations learning from history, Boring argued that historical knowledge provides essential context for the present and enriches critical thinking.
Psychology's Context: As a young science, psychology uses history to address persistent issues, such as the nature vs. nurture debate, and to provide a cohesive framework for the field.
Historical Perspectives
Old vs. New History: "Old" history is celebratory and individual-centric (creating origin myths), whereas "New" history is critical and contextualizes developments within broader frameworks.
Presentism vs. Historicism: Presentism judges the past by contemporary standards (anachronistic), while historicism seeks to understand the past within its own cultural context.
Internal vs. External History: Internal history focuses on theoretical evolution; external history examines how social and economic factors shape the discipline.
Personalistic vs. Naturalistic: Personalistic history credits individuals (e.g., Freud), while naturalistic history credits the Zeitgeist (the intellectual climate). "Multiples" (like Darwin and Wallace) support the naturalistic view.
E.G. Boring and Historiography
E.G. Boring: A student of Titchener and key historian who promoted the naturalistic perspective through his seminal text, A History of Experimental Psychology.
Historiography: The interpretation of the past using primary and secondary sources. Historians face challenges in data selection, missing information, and inherent bias in interpretation.