Experimental Psychology Influenced Physical Social Psy 1st Scientific

Training: University of Tubingen, Heidelberg, and Berlin; studied briefly under Johannes Muller and as an assistant to the physicist/ physiologist Helmholtz; worked with organic chemist Bunsen (burner); medical training; his interest was not in physiology but in pathological anatomy; influenced by Mill’s chemical principles; belief that psychology falls between the physical & social sciences; influenced by Herbart (applying math to make psy an experimental science)

Accomplishments:

• founder of psychology

• offered 1st course in scientific psychology

• founded experimental psy

• 1st laboratory

• “Principles of Physiological Psychology” (psy using experimental methods)

• immediate (conscious processes) vs. mediate experience (physical measurements using phenomena in the world)

• introspection (experimental self-observation)& rules for introspection

• established the journal “Philosophical Studies” to report his findings

• 3 Dimension Theory: strain & relaxation, pleasure & displeasure, excitement & calm

• developed method of paired comparison to study feelings along single dimension (pioneered psychophysiology)

• GREATEST contribution was his students (186 Phd theses) 

• Three main subdivisions of psy;

1. inductive experimental science

2. anthropology (reflections of higher mental processes in language, myths, religion, ect)

3. integration of social & physical science into scientific metaphysics – coherent theory of the universe.

Criticism of others: N/A

Criticisms by others: others questioned his experiments' validity (Tichener); writing style

Systems: Voluntarism