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Founding fathers of psychology and their views
William james contributions to psychology essay
William james contributions to psychology essay
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Abstract
Wilhelm Wundt is recognized as the first official philosopher. Many look to his insights as a skeleton for the basic principles of psychology established to this day. The influence of American culture on the globe ins inflatable, therefore this paper will highlight the contributions to the understanding of psychology from the first American Psychologist; William James. In further detail, the following paper will highlight his personal background, accomplishments, and awards.
Keywords: psychologist, American, contributions
The Career of Dr. William James
An examination of the career of the first major American psychologist provides information relevant to the furthering of an understanding in the fields of psychology.
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James also wrote the piece in order to describe rationality as a set of sentiments that mark themselves as rational. ”These marks include a “strong feeling of ease, peace, rest/and a “feeling of the sufficiency of the present moment, of its absoluteness” (James, 1882, p 3). James mentions, that the sentiments of rationality act in ordinary life as well. That uncertainties disappear after and individual unconsciously analyzes every aspect of the room until a comprehension is met. James most prominent work includes, “The Principles of Psychology”. He agreed to write the text for Henry Holt in 1878, but it took him over twelve years to complete it in its entirety.. When he finally finished the work, he referred to it as, “a loathsome, distended, tumefied, bloated, dropsical mass, testifying to nothing but two facts: first, that there is no such thing as a science of psychology, and second, that W. J. is incapable (Winslow, 2013, p …show more content…
Thousands of copies of the text were published this work diefied James as an American psychologist. Professional Awards Dr. William James earned the honor of having an award named after himself. The William James award intends to recognize and honor a book within the last 5 years that has left a prominent impact on the furthering the knowledge of Psychology or other related material. The work needs to provide some creativity concerning the synthesis of theory and fact in specified fields of research. The award is an extreme honor and is presented to those who make a prominent impact in any field of psychological research or study.
Conclusion
Since the establishment of psychology in 1879, many have recognized the work of several early psychologists. Most notably the work of European scientists such as Sigmund Freud or Windhelm Wult. However, the work of Dr. William James is also a topic for detailed analysis. His contribution to the understanding of psychology remains influential not only to Americans, but global students of the study as well. His work will continue to earn recognition throughout the course of human history, as long as the science of psychology remains a relevant
The World of Psychology. (2002). A Pearson Education Company. Boston, MA: Samuel Wood & Ellen Green Wood p. 593
Many people attribute modern psychology to psychologist such as Sigmund Freud, Ivan Pavlov, and B.F. Skinner. Though, they were a part of developing modern psychology, many forget to recognize important founders such as William James. According to King, Viney and Woody, James came from a family with a strict father, raised in tolerance. James and his father had many encounters because of their different views. They were a wealthy and cultured family. James attended Harvard, studying a broad spectrum of just about everything. He finally received his medical degree in 1869, but then became depressed and anxious about life. He was not fond of medicine and was then offered to teach a course in the Relations between Psychology and Physiology. He was also the founder of Harvard’s first psychology laboratory. James then began to teach psychology as well as writing the first U.S. psychology text, Principles of Psychology, in 1890; this book was the main psychology textbook for many years to come (p.284). James was well known for his philosophy, which he explored many areas. For example individualism, which he believed that circumstances shape individuals and then individuals shape the world also that we understand reality only through individual experiences. Pluralism was another view which he believed that there are many ways to understand the world, and a variety of methods and topics to study. Also, for James pragmatism was a belief that if an idea worked it was valid; these ideas should have “cash value” as he stated. He meant that these ideas should be useful and apply them to the real world. Although philosophy was a major part of his work, he was also known as the American founder of psychology (King, Viney &Woody 2013, p.286). Wi...
Westen, D. (1998). The scientific legacy of Sigmund Freud: toward a psychodynamically informed psychological science. Psychological Bulletin, 124(3), 333.
The development of psychology like all other sciences started with great minds debating unknown topics and searching for unknown answers. Early philosophers and psychologists such as Sir Francis Bacon and Charles Darwin took a scientific approach to psychology by introducing the ideas of measurement and biology into the way an indi...
Buchanan, R. D. (2011). Research report: Doing a biography of Hans J. Eysenck. History Of Psychology, 14(2), 210-213. doi:10.1037/a0023481b
The study of psychology began as a theoretical subject a branch of ancient philosophy, and later as a part of biological sciences and physiology. However, over the years, it has grown into a rigorous science and a separate discipline, with its own sets of guidance and experimental techniques. This paper aims to study the various stages that the science of psychology passed through to reach its contemporary status, and their effects on its development. It begins with an overview of the historical and philosophical basis of psychology, discusses the development of the various schools of thought, and highlights their effects on contemporary personal and professional decision-making.
Maher, B. A., & Maher, W. B. (1985). Psychopathology: II. From the eighteenth century to modern times. In G. A. Kimble & K. Schlesinger (Eds.), Topics in the history of psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 295-329). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Rieber, R. W. (2001). Wilhelm Wundt in history: the making of a scientific psychology. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum.
... middle of paper ... ... Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 35(1), 1–22. Leahey T. H (1992) The Mythical Revolutions of American Psychology.
Rationalism and empiricism were two philosophical schools in the 17th and 18th centuries, that were expressing opposite views on some subjects, including knowledge. While the debate between the rationalist and empiricist schools did not have any relationship to the study of psychology at the time, it has contributed greatly to facilitating the possibility of establishing the discipline of Psychology. This essay will describe the empiricist and rationalist debate, and will relate this debate to the history of psychology.
Boneau, C. A., Kimble, G. A., and Wertheimer, M. (1996) Portraits of Pioneers in Psychology, Volume II. Washington D.C. and Mahwah, NJ: American Psychological Association & Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
The psychologist I chose is to write about for project 2 is William James (01/11/1842 - 08/26/1910). He is best known for Pragmatism, Functionalism, James-Lange Theory of Emotion, and is often called the father of American psychology. William James was born into a wealthy family, he was the son of a theologian and the brother of both a prominent novelist and diarist. He himself, wrote about many topics including epistemology, education, metaphysics, psychology, religion, and mysticism. In 1861 he attended Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University. In 1854 William James switched to Harvard Medical School but his studies were interrupted by an expedition along the Amazon River, although eight months in having
Hergenhahn, B.R. (2009). Social and Theoretical Psychology: Conceptual and Historical Issues 1. An introduction to the History of Psychology. 1 (1), p1-28.
At Wesleyan University, Edward Thorndike’s junior year psychology course was merely a requirement for completing his degree and claimed it offered no spark of inspiration. The desire to pursue psychology came later through required readings from chapters in William James’ book Principles of Psychology. After graduation from Wesleyan University, an opportunity presented itself to Thorndike to work under James at Harvard for his graduate degree. He continued his education under the supervision of James McKeen Catell at Columbia University and in 1898 completed his Ph.D..
Psychology started, and had a long history, as a topic within the fields of philosophy and physiology. It then became an independent field of its own through the work of the German Wilhelm Wundt, the founder of experimental psychology and structuralism. Wundt stressed the use of scientific methods in psychology, particularly through the use of introspection. In 1875, a room was set-aside for Wundt for demonstrations in what we now call sensation and perception. This is the same year that William James set up a similar lab at Harvard. Wilhelm Wundt and William James are usually thought of as the fathers of psychology, as well as the founders of psychology?s first two great ?schools? Structuralism and Functionalism. Psychologist Edward B Titchner said; ?to study the brain and the unconscious we should break it into its structural elements, after that we can construct it into a whole and understand what it does.? (psicafe.com)