Preview

The Psychology Laboratory at the Turn of the 20th Century

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
274 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Psychology Laboratory at the Turn of the 20th Century
Article:
The Psychology Laboratory at the Turn of the 20th Century
By Ludy T. Benjamin Jr.
Hannah Flannery
AU ID 3117196
PSYC 290
Journal Article Critique 1
Tutor
February 5th, 2014

Research Question or Problem

Yes the question is clearly stated in this article. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance and the existence of experimental laboratories in the evolution of psychology, and why it became its own recognized study of science after much deliberation in the evolution of psychology and its laboratories.

Introduction

The introduction of this article gives a summary of the history about the laboratories for experimental research. Without the use of laboratories there would no classification as to what psychology would be about. This article contains information about how the establishment of laboratories were able to be used by psychologists to study what psychology was intended to be about; the study of the mind rather than observable behaviour. “The laboratories are more than jars, charts, and apparatus: the spirit that reigns in these rooms is the same that is found in other laboratories of exact science” (Nichols, 1893, pg. 399 as cited in Benjamin Jr, 2000 pg 318).

Methodology

With the first formal experimental laboratory established in Leipzig Germany, psychology was able to be recognised as its own independent study of science. Wilhelm’s laboratory brought academics from all over, to make studies of the human mind and abnormal psychology. The population of fascinated scholars became to set a trend. Following the trend were more foundations of new laboratories in the United States. However not all laboratories were getting the funding they were hoping for, making it hard for laboratories to get the proper equipment.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    I found this article entertaining and interesting. It gives an overview of evolution of experimental laboratory in psychology, which helped in the emergence of psychology as an independent modern academic discipline. This article only illustrates the number of laboratories open during the specific era in United States, but lacks the information regarding the experimental methods used by scholars to conduct researches in these laboratories. The laboratory experiments in psychology have their own advantages and disadvantages. Scholars can control the conditions better, can replicate, and can change the variables, which makes the experiment more reliable. But whereas on the other hand there are chances that scholars might miss the naturalistic behaviour and can cause personal bias.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the 21th century it is relatively easy to define psychology, however many forces has led to emergence of modern psychology. Much of the history of psychology has been characterized by heated debates about what constitutes the appropriate subject matter and methodologies for a science of mind and behavior. This ‘summary’ will be the period of history in which some of the critical groundwork for modern psychology has laid down.…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Mind-Body problem

    • 1454 Words
    • 4 Pages

    This concept is one of the deepest and most lasting legacies in the history of psychology. It is a crucial concept because it is through studying the history of psychology that one is able to gain perspective and a deeper understanding of modern psychology. By studying the history of this field and understanding the approaches from different philosopher’s, modern psychology can dissect previous mistakes and try to avoid them. Another benefit that comes from studying the history is the formation of new ideas that can be discovered and the natural curiosity that arises from something thought to be important (Hergenhahn, 2009, p. 23).…

    • 1454 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    ap psycho vocab

    • 3281 Words
    • 14 Pages

    8. Edward Titchener – brought the ‘new” experimental psychology to the United States. Studied introspection and structuralism.…

    • 3281 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psychology was originated from the roots of philosophy Socrates, Aristotle and Plato asked many hard questions for example how the mind works. “According to psychology historian Morton Hunt, an experiment performed by the King of Egypt, as far back as the seventh century B.C., can be considered the first psychology experiment (Hunt, 1993, p. 1). The king wanted to test whether or not Egyptian was the oldest civilization on earth. His idea was that, if children were raised in isolation from infancy and were given no instruction in language of any kind, then the language they spontaneously spoke would be of the original civilization of man -- hopefully, Egyptian. The experiment, itself, was…

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hatfield, G. (1997). Wundt and Psychology as Science: Disciplinary Transformations. Perspectives on Science, 5(3), 349.…

    • 804 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Wilhelm Wundt

    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Today, Wilhelm Wundt is known as “the father of psychology.” He is duly credited with this title, for in 1879, he was the first person to create the first psychological laboratory dedicated to the experimentation of psychology. Wundt was attempting to measure the “atoms of the mind,” which was the fastest and simplest mental processes by using a machine to measure the time lag between a person hearing a ball hit a platform and their pressing of a telegraph key. As a result, this lab was established, and the psychological laboratory in the University of Leipzig was recognized and headed by Wundt and soon thereafter became a learning center for all those interested in psychology. It was at around this time that he established his famous theory of introspection. Introspection could also be called self- observation and this method made people look inward and retell the different experiences they had when they did different things like smelling or tasting something. Though sensations are technically outside the mind, they were considered psychological. This was used to find the mind’s structural elements by both Wundt and his student Edward Titchener. The studies he and his students had also done were on perception and sensation along with studies on vision and reaction time. Wundt taught many other students as well, passing on his knowledge of psychology and he also published 53,000 pages worth of psychology on various subjects including books like The Principles of Physiological Psychology and the ten volume Volkerpsychologie , the latter published when he became interested in cultural psychology when he realized that experimental psychology only covered the surface of psychology in general. These many accomplishments of Wundt only solidify his title of “the father of…

    • 290 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Psyc

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Experiments have long been the method of choice in psychology. However, the experimental approach does have its limitations. Describe these limitations and explain why many psychologists have called for more field research…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The purpose of this study was for experimental psychologists to use the same principles of division through out the process, as it remains a representation of modern psychology as the exact counterpart that is parallel to modern biology. Other determines factors that ware of importance were the scope and the divisions of psychological science in consistence with the nature and number of structural elements that consist in the mind. It was determined that Biology, which is the science of living things, is made up of three mutually interdependent sciences which are morphology, physiology and ontogeny that required the necessary classification their divisions as the counterpart is distinguished.…

    • 588 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the history of psychology, there are many debates about which psychologist, doctor, theorists or scientists’ theories were more important to the study. There are many contributors of great importance throughout history. Two contributors, Sigmund Feud and B. F. Skinner, two great minds, looked at many of the same issues in different styles.…

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ap Psychology

    • 13137 Words
    • 53 Pages

    Why is Wundt considered by some psychologists to be the founder of psychology?: because he initiated the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879.…

    • 13137 Words
    • 53 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    PsychSim5AnswerKey Final

    • 21707 Words
    • 92 Pages

    Purpose: to provide a more comprehensive synopsis of the origins of psychology, the early history of psychology as a discipline, and the major themes in twentieth-century psychology…

    • 21707 Words
    • 92 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Psychology Timeline

    • 2125 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Purpose: To provide a more comprehensive synopsis of the origins of psychology, the early history of psychology as a discipline, and the major themes in twentieth century psychology.…

    • 2125 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Psychology was originally a branch of Philosopy, according to Hollway (2007). As more emphasis was placed on following scientific methods and principles, psychologists began using laboratory experiments to carry out research into individual behaviours. Experiments were considered to be more objective when considering individuals within the social world. Researchers were able to separate different situations that occurred in natural settings in an attempt to replicate particular aspects in a laboratory environment.…

    • 1632 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Perspectives Paper

    • 1522 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Throughout the years there have been many men and women who have made many advancements and contributions to the science of psychology. They have used observations, experimentations, and scientific studies to hypothesize, and prove their theories. However, some of the greatest theories and achievements in the study of psychology were obtained through experiments and studies using live animals. Three men who have made great strides in psychology were; John B. Watson, B. F. Skinner, and Edward C. Tolman. Although they were not in the forefront at the beginning of the study of psychology, their theories and new fields in psychology allowed the advancements that contributed to the growth of the science.…

    • 1522 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays