The final tribute of E. G. Boring to G. T. Fechner: Concerning the date October 22, 1850.

E. G. Boring, the preeminent historian of experimental psychology, wrote a letter shortly before his death in 1968 concerning G. T. Fechner's first insight into the fundamental principle of psychophysics on October 22, 1850. The celebration of that date at Harvard, more or less annually, and the establishment there of the first chair of psychophysics are recounted in the letter and interwoven with Boring's own birthday (October 23). The letter is published here as a minor contribution to the centennial of Fechner's death (November 18, 1887). That event was scheduled for celebration at Leipzig University by a three-day symposium in June devoted to Fechner's founding of psychophysics and, hence, of experimental psychology. Boring's later skepticism about the validity of certain landmark dates in scientific history was meant to deemphasize the contribution of the individual and to strengthen the role of the impersonal Zeitgeist. But it appears that this skepticism may have arisen, in part, from Boring's recognition of his subjectivity in playfully confounding Fechner's date of insight with his own birthday. Overgeneralization may have followed the fun. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Who's afraid of John B. Watson? Comments on: Behavior: An introduction to comparative psychology.

Reviews the book, Behavior: An Introduction to Comparative Psychology by John B. Watson (Introduction by R. J. Herrnstein) (see record 1967-08039-000). This book, a reprint of the 1914 volume which was Watson's first book, disinters again from its mouldy wrappings the often harrassed spectre of John B. Watson's place in the history of North American psychology. Was he, as Gustav Bergmann (1956) has suggested, second only to Freud as "the most important figure in the history of psychological thought during the first half of the century?" Or was A. A. Roback (1937, 1964) closer to the truth in dismissing Watsonian Behaviorism as a "rah-rah technique" which "made a big noise" which was "not substantiated by deeds?" Or was Watson, as other writers have suggested, simply a footnote to Functionalism? Herrnstein, in his introduction, discusses Watson as the heir of Darwin, Sechenov, and Pavlov, and as the progenitor of Tolman, Hull, and Skinner. The fact of the matter is that Watson's contributions to psychology, however they may be assessed, were not in the field of animal behavior but in the field of methodology. Thorndike's Law of Effect continued to overshadow Watson's frequency principle in learning, Pavlov did more with the reflex in terms of both research and theory, and Lashley began a tradition of revolutionary explorations of the animal nervous system. It is not without good reason that Boring (1950) discusses Watson in a section on Behaviorism '(with the ism)" rather than in sections on Animal Psychology where Romanes, Loeb, Morgan, and Yerkes are included. Indeed, it is to the "history and systems" books one must turn to find consistent reference to Behavior. It would appear that if Behavior is, in fact, a classic, it is a classic in the field of psychological theory and methodology, not in the field of animal behavior or comparative psychology. Perhaps it was this point which Herrnstein was making when he began the first sentence of his introduction with the words, "To find out what behaviorism was, consult this book," rather than with the words, "To find out what comparative psychology was, consult this book." Nevertheless, whether your interest is behaviorism, comparative psychology, or the history and growth of psychological thinking in North America, this book is worth consulting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The defects of his race": E. G. Boring and antisemitism in American psychology, 1923–1953.

From the 1920s to the 1950s, Edwin G. Boring wrote letters of reference for Jewish students and colleagues in which he followed the common practice of identifying them as Jews and assessing whether they showed "objectionable traits" thought to characterize Jews. These practices are discussed in relation to the increasing antisemitism of the interwar period, with specific reference to Abraham A. Roback and Kurt Lewin. In Roback's case, the "defect" of Jewishness was thought to explain his undesirable personality; with Lewin, personal charm mitigated the "defect" of Jewishness. Boring's unsuccessful attempts to place Jewish students, his subsequent pessimism, and his postwar discussions of Jewish identity are examined in relation to the general issue of antisemitism in the history of academic psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Current practices in teaching history of psychology.

150 returns from departments of psychology in the 168 American schools listed in the December 1960 issue of the American Psychologist indicate that most schools (130 of 150) teach a history course. "In a large majority of the departments, History is treated as a three-credit, one-semester course." The textbook most commonly used (75%) was the one by Boring. Others used were Murphy, Woodworth, Chaplin and Krawiek, Heidbreder, Dennis, and Wolman. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Centenary of psychology: 1856-1956. Celebration at Washington University, St. Louis.

To mark a "convergent anniversary in the history of behavioral science—experimental psychology, clinical psychiatry, and psychoanalysis—a program under the title of "Psychology in Perspective—A Centenary Celebration: 1856-1956" was offered at Washington University, St. Louis, on September 28-29. Papers presented included "Psychology in Evolutionary Perspective" by Julian Huxley, "The Role of Consciousness in the Emergence of a Scientific Psychology" by Edwin G. Boring, "Organic Order from Mental Disorder" by Winfred Overholser, and "The Cultural Matrix of the Unconscious" by Saul Rosenzweig. Each of these papers is briefly summarized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The crisis of experimentalism in the 1920s: E. G. Boring and his uses of history.

Comments that proponents of the cyclical view of history will find in the 1920s poignant parallels with contemporary controversies between "pure" and "applied" psychologists. E. G. Boring, an advocate of the ideal of pure research, was embroiled in the bitter debates. At the same time, he was at work on his prodigious History of Experimental Psychology. This article examines the extent to which Boring's professional concerns affected his historical vision. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Freud's forgotten evolutionary project.

In the last decades psychoanalysis has tended to recast itself as a hermeneutic discipline geared at the retelling of human lives, and Freud is recast as a great writer in the humanist tradition rather than as the scientist as which he saw himself. Although this reconceptualization has good reasons, it tends to obscure the fact that Freud primarily saw himself as a theorist of human nature. One of Freud's deepest convictions was that psychopathology needs to be explained on the basis of evolutionary biology. This paper argues that this may have been one of Freud's greatest ideas. The reason it has been "repressed" by psychoanalysis is that Freud based it on Lamarckian principles. The current flourishing of evolutionary psychology and psychiatry may well turn Freud into one of the precursors of the psychology of the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of A History of Genetic Psychology: The First Science of Human Development.

Reviews the book, A History of Genetic Psychology: The First Science of Human Development, edited by Robert E. Grinder (see record 1967-35029-000). This is essentially a book of readings which attempts to trace the history of the G. Stanley Hall brand of genetic psychology which, in a sense, formed the background for certain aspects of modern educational psychology. The authors of the readings include Aristotle, Edward L. Thorndike, Thomas H. Huxley, Henry Drummond, and Ellsworth Lancaster, as well as G. Stanley Hall. The editor has provided a "Prospectus" in which he outlines the history of the theories of pangenesis, acquired characteristics, and vitalism, relating them to genetic psychology. In addition, each of the five sections of the book is introduced by a few pages of explanatory material in an attempt to give the readings some continuity. The reviewer feels that a detailed scholarly treatment of the many complicated influences of evolutionary theory upon psychology would be of great value, and sees this volume as possibly contributing some of the necessary motivation to the achievement of such a goal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical Psychology in Medical Education.

Greenfield's excellent appraisal (Amer. Psychologist, 1960, 15, 624-625) of the role of clinical psychology in medical education deserves commendation. Despite its brevity, it offers a great deal. In fact, it reads so well and makes such good sense, I was hopeful, as I neared the end, that Greenfield might have an answer to the question he raises implicitly: "What is the unique role of psychology in medical education?" To be sure, this question has plagued the now respectable number of psychologists in medical schools for some time. In my view, the clinical psychologist's "identity as psychologist" is related to his having a PhD which, in turn, is related to his unique contribution to a medical school. To me, the uniqueness is his research role. He may be a teacher, clinician, administrator, jack-of-all-trades. But, to his colleagues, though not always to himself, he is unique because he (supposedly) is prepared as an investigator in human behavior. To our medical school colleagues in the basic sciences (and also to others) the PhD degree represents scholarship, scientific background, and preparation for research. The question must remain: "What is psychology's unique role in medical education?" It happens that the greatest number of psychologists in medical schools are clinical psychologists. But, to look for the answer to the question in terms of the needs and interests of the clinician would be taking a far more narrow view of the problem than it deserves. I think Greenfield would agree. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gudmundur Finnbogason, "Sympathetic understanding," and early Icelandic psychology.

Gudmundur Finnbogason (1873-1944) was a pioneer of Icelandic psychology. He was educated at the University of Copenhagen where he finished his M.A. in 1901 in philosophy, specializing in psychology. During the years 1901-1905, Finnbogason played a major role in establishing and shaping the future of primary education in Iceland. He defended his doctoral thesis on "sympathetic understanding" at the University of Copenhagen in 1911. This work deals with the psychology of imitation. In it Finnbogason defends the view that imitation is basically perception so that there is a direct link from perception to motor behavior. Through imitation people tend to assume the countenance and demeanor of other people, thus showing, in Finnbogason's terminology, "sympathetic understanding." Finnbogason's theory of imitation in many respects anticipates contemporary approaches to the psychology of imitation. In 1918 Finnbogason became professor of applied psychology at the recently founded University of Iceland. Here he attempted to establish psychology as an independent discipline. In this he was unsuccessful; his chair was abolished in 1924. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

G. Stanley Hall and the history of psychology.

G. Stanley Hall is widely recognized as a major organizer and promoter of modern psychology in North America. However, it is less well-known that he also made significant contributions to the study of psychology's history through his teaching and research in this area. This article reviews some of the formative influences in Hall's life that led to his interest in historical topics, and also discusses his own work on the history of psychology as it appears in his extensive publication record. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special issue.

Provides an introduction to the special issue of the American Psychologist, which is one of several publications prepared for the celebration of the centenary of the American Psychological Association (APA). The 25 invited articles in this special issue constitute a unique collection portraying the founding and development of the "new" psychology in America. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of APA, this special issue showcases the work of many of the leading scholars writing in the history of psychology today—individuals trained in psychology and history. There is great diversity in this collection of articles that tells the story of American psychologists involved in the advancement of psychology as a science, a profession, and a means of promoting human welfare. The author concludes by briefly describing the founding of history as a specialty area within the discipline of psychology by Robert Watson, and this special issue is dedicated to his memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

John B. Watson's Alleged Sex Research: An Appraisal of the Evidence.

In 1974, a story was published about clandestine research done by John B. Watson that was judged to be so reprehensible that it was offered as the real reason he was fired from his faculty position at Johns Hopkins University in 1920, at perhaps the peak of his academic career. Watson's dismissal from Johns Hopkins may have been the most important event in his career, and it almost certainly altered the history of American psychology. Thus, this story has great significance. The claims of the story, however, have never been validated or invalidated. This article examines the evidence for and against the existence of such research and discusses Watson's academic dismissal in light of that evidence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dalbir Bindra: 1922-1980.

Presents an obituary for Dalbir Bindra, the quintessence of the rational man. From an early age he dedicated himself with uncommon objectivity and analytic skill to psychology as science. For him the important problem in psychology was the concomitance of neural and behavioural events. This classic problem has fascinated some of the great minds in the history of thought. With courage, persistence, optimism, and singleness of purpose, he applied all his theoretical and experimental skills to this problem. His faith in science was unusually strong. Dalbir Bindra throughout his career was active in psychology in Canada and played an important role in its growth. One of his interests was financial support for research in psychology. He wrote reports and published papers on this topic. From 1962-68 he was chairperson of the Associate Committee on Experimental Psychology of the National Research Council of Canada. He was President of the Canadian Psychological Association in 1958-59. He was awarded the Canadian Centennial Medal in 1967. He was a Fellow of the Canadian and American Psychological Associations. In 1973 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, one of the very few psychologists in Canada to be so honored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of History of Academic Psychology in Canada.

Reviews the book, History of Academic Psychology in Canada edited by Mary J. Wright and C. Roger Myers (1982). The title of this book is to be taken seriously. It is a history of academic psychology in Canada in which history of the academy moves prominently to the fore, often leaving the reader with only tantalizing glimpses of the psychology that gave meaning to the effort. Substantively, it is a history of university departments of psychology in Canada. Each departmental history is written by a person or persons having a long association with the department and a sufficient interest in its history to write it. At its best, this book provides well-written and penetratingly thoughtful accounts of the struggle to build psychology as an academic discipline in Canada. Often obscured in the effort, however, is the psychology itself. What was the psychology advocated by these personalities? What did they contribute to it? The reader will have to turn elsewhere for the answers. Regardless of limitations or faults, however, this book deserves full credit as the first attempt to rescue Canadian psychologists from their "social amnesia." It is an important step toward establishing a national consciousness and identity, which by itself would be sufficient reason for a positive reception. Fortunately, it has many other features that recommend it as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Robert Sessions Woodworth: 1869-1962.

Woodworth was "a unique contributor to modern American psychology in at least four respects." (a) He was a symbol of mature, factually and method-oriented experimental psychology. (b) Through teaching and editing he became a central figure in a vigorous, broadgauged conception of research. (c) His eclecticism indicated scope and perspective. (d) He clearly defined his position on controversial issues and buttressed it with logic and evidence. For Woodworth a psychology worth knowing meant that one should know it "in three dimensions." His Experimental Psychology was a major reference work for a particular era of psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of APA dictionary of psychology.

Reviews the book, APA dictionary of psychology by Gary R. VandenBos (see record 2006-11044-000). This book is an impressive comprehensive reference book that includes germane entries of overlapping and interrelated disciplines. This dictionary is a useful resource not only for professionals who work in the field of psychology, but also for the professionals who work in related and/or overlapping disciplines (e.g., social workers, psychiatrists, practitioners, lawyers). The long list of editors and contributors shows that the making of this book was a major joint effort. The hard-covered book has 1,023 pages and more than 25,000 entries that are accompanied by thousands of cross-references. The dictionary provides a brief history of the book's development and a brief guide to its layout and format. The book has high-quality paper, a double-column layout, large boldface headwords, and small boldface subentries, all of which make it easy to read. In addition, each entry is generously indented under the headword making the pages appear less crowded when compared to other dictionaries. The size of the book is very reasonable, which will be appealing to the reader. Overall, this high-quality dictionary is a very useful resource for professionals and students in the field of psychology, as well as for professionals in related disciplines. Regardless of whether the reader is a professional or novice, he or she will no doubt appreciate this comprehensive "user friendly" dictionary. The wait for a psychology reference book was worth it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction.

As we continue on our journey of capturing some aspects of an oral history of professional psychology in writing, we selected three articles that address different aspects of the field. Dr. Leona Tyler, past president of the American Psychological Association and pioneer in the field of counseling psychology, shares with us how counseling psychology has changed over the years from being concerned with helping individuals understand themselves, make important choices, and plan their lives to being more concerned with issues traditionally in the realm of clinical psychology. The second article is written by Dr. Grant Dahlstrom, one of the "greats" in the field of objective testing. He reviews for us why he and George Welsh embarked on the writings of their books on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and what they used in their preparation of guides for clinicians. In the third article, Drs. Lillie and Barry Weiss, clinical psychologists who met and married while in graduate school in the late 1960s, to reflect on the uniqueness of the married couple experience in professional psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The American Psychological Association's response to Brown v. Board of Education: The case of Kenneth B. Clark.

In 1954, in Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine of the Plessy v. Ferguson decision (1896) that was the foundation of school segregation in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Brown is arguably the most important Supreme Court decision of the 20th century in terms of its influence on American history. Moreover, it has a special significance for psychology because it marked the first time that psychological research was cited in a Supreme Court decision and because social science data were seen as paramount in the Court's decision to end school segregation. This article describes psychologist Kenneth B. Clark's role in that case and the response of the American Psychological Association to scientific psychology's moment in a great spotlight. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)