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Home , Introspection, Wilhelm Wundt

1 2 & Herman Ebbinghaus Wilhelm Wundt & Herman Ebbinghaus

1. Wundt 2. Ebbinghaus

A. Biographical details A. Biographical details B. Career history B. Career history C. Psychological theories C. Psychological theories D. Impact on D. Impact on Psychology

Setting the Scene… 3 4 (After Darwin, Descartes (d. 1650) – (1890) – we consist of a preferred the study we are not automata; material body & of to that of selects immaterial consciousness)

(Newton) Copernicus (1543): J.-O. la Mettrie (1748) (1859) Wilhelm Wundt heliocentric theory of the L’Homme Machine – (On the Origin of Species) (1879) established (1899) – unconscious universe – Earth, and are just more – evolution by common first lab for study of more important than race, are not the animals descent of all creatures human psychology consciousness centre of the universe

Opposing views… 5 6

Humans are special. We’re not just smarter monkeys. Reflective self- consciousness (subjective experience) is unique to humans. It is too Wilhelm Wundt remarkable to have evolved for no . It permits selection. It creates (1832-1920) our experience of the world. It makes us care whether we live or die.

William James

Wilhelm Wundt

Humans are not special – we are not the center of the universe. We’re just more complex animals on a little planet in an uncaring universe. Consciousness is not special (in any useful way) – it doesn’t produce our behavior; our behavior issues from unconscious processes shared with animals and generated by . Consciousness is an epiphenomenon.

1 7 8 Wundt – A. Biographical details Wundt – A. Biographical details

* Born 1832, 4th of 4 children * Began academic career at University of Tubingen * Father a poor village clergyman * First scientific publication at 21 * Ancestors included many scholars – historians, * After father’s death, Wundt went to the famous theologians, geographers on father’s side, natural University to study medicine scientists & physicians on mother’s side * MD degree at 24 from Heidelberg * Lonely and sickly during childhood; did poorly in * Then to University of Berlin – studied under school; unloved at home Müller & Du Bois-Reymond; Lab work under * As an , humorless, tireless, aggressive Robert Bunsen *(Anatomy; electrophysiology; chemistry)

9 10 Johannes Peter Muller (1801- 1858) – Physiologist and Emil Heinrich Du Bois- comparative anatomist; Reymond (1818-1896) founder of modern . German physiologist who After teaching medicine at showed the existence of Bonn and anatomy at Berlin, electrical currents in he devoted himself to research nerves, correctly arguing in physiology. Considered the that it would be possible founder of modern physiology, to transmit nerve because of his personal impulses chemically. His contributions to the experimental techniques and for coordinating the results provided the basis for obtained by his predecessors. almost all future work in Fought against electrophysiology.

11 12 Robert Bunsen (1811- 1899). Before he was B. Career history twenty years old, Bunsen had obtained his doctorate 1857 – took teaching job at Heidelberg in chemistry at Göttingen University. Bunsen taught 1858 – became assistant in von Helmholtz’s lab at several different 1858-62 – Contributions to the Theory of Sensory universities, including institutions in Marburg and Breslau, before settling at * argued for as a new Heidelberg, where he science taught from 1852 until his 1863 – Lectures on the of Men and Animals retirement, and established an exceptional chemistry * ; influenced by Darwin department.

2 13 14 B. Career history B. Career history

1864 – promoted to associate professor 1879 – founded the Psychology Institute – 1867 – began teaching arguably the first experimental psychology lab 1873 – Principles of Physiological Psychology 1881 – founded journal Philosophical Studies. * His magnum opus; huge effect on career 1896 – 1874 – having been passed over to replace von 1900-20 – : An Investigation of Helmholtz, became professor of at the Developmental of Language, Myth, and Zurich (Switzerland) published in 10 volumes. 1875 – moved to University of , given a 1917 – Retired at age 85 chair in philosophy – with lots of resources

15 16 C. Psychological Theories

Two kinds of psychological research: Study of the elements of consciousness: * Physical phenomena are seen as consisting of A. Lab work – reserved for study of simpler issues chemical structures, that can be broken down * Used introspection into basic elements B. out in the world – for the study of * Analogously, conscious experience can be more complex processes that allow us to be broken down into basic elements – e.g., what social animals (e.g., language) elements is the taste of apple pie composed of? * Influence of Darwin: trace the evolution of * This, Wundt , required introspection

17 18 Introspection Introspection

Wundt began identifying a sort of “periodic table of Elements included: the elements” of conscious experience. Sensations – produced by organs * Any experience to be described in most basic * these vary in intensity, modality, duration terms * included simple tone, pressure, heat, cold, * Observer must not describe object itself – doing sour, sweet, salty, bitter tastes, many others so would be an example of the “ error.” * black/white, color saturation, brightness * Eventually, this approach was abandoned – but – affective value of a sensation it has an echo in the recent work of, for example, Hubel & Weisel on visual feature detectors * pleasant/unpleasant; tension/relaxation; excitement/depression

3 19 20 What happens to these elements? What happens to these elements?

Apprehension – process through which individual : whole is more than sum of parts “impressions” or sensations enter consciousness Apperception is produced by will * will directs Association – passive combination of elements * important in 20th century in clinical applications (e.g., Thematic Apperception Test): why does Apperception – active combination of elements person perceive the world this way? and synthesis of new forms * It’s an act of will – why that particular act of * The will has an “organizing” effect will? What does that teach us? * – power of will to organize mental contents

21 22 Introspection - problems D. Impact on psychology

Observers were students trained by Wundt Wundt was first person ever to be called a * 10,000 before they were '‘, and started the first psychology lab. considered trained He also trained much of the first generation of Agreement among observers produced by bias experimental psychologists generated by Wundt’s training But his influenced waned early in the 20th century, Disagreement was resolved by Wundt for several * If two observers disagreed, would Wundt Scientific: decide that the one who agreed with his * introspection not a reliable method interpretation was correct? * cultural psychology had no center, as James said

23 24 5.Impact on Psychology Herman Ebbinghaus (1850 – 1909) Wundt’s influence waned in the early 20th century Historical issues: * Zeitgeist changed after World War I * U.S.A. became leading scientific nation – structuralism had no historical status there Personal issues * Wundt tried to dominate experimental psychology, to be an authority in all things * The historical period of authorities was ending

4 25 26 2. Herman Ebbinghaus (1850 – 1909) 2. Herman Ebbinghaus (1850 – 1909)

A. Biographical details B. Career history * born in Barmen, town in Germany known more recently 1885 Published On , his most important work for its religious leaders’ opposition to the Nazis (Barmen 1885 Appointed Professor of Philosophy at the University Declaration, 1934) of Berlin * entered University of Bonn at age 17 * founded an experimental laboratory in Berlin * studies interrupted in1870 by service in the Prussian 1890 founded journal Zeitschrift für Psychologie und Physiologie der Sinnesorgane army during the Franco-Prussian war 1894 Made full professor at Breslau * Ph.D. awarded in 1873 (a study of von Hartmann’s * founded an experimental laboratory in Breslau philosophy of the unconscious) 1905 Became professor at Halle * known for his personal charm & sense of humor 1909 Died of pneumonia

27 28 2. Herman Ebbinghaus (1850 – 1909) On Memory (1885)

C. Psychological theories Ebbinghaus wanted to develop a scientific psychology. This goal led to his systematic study * Ebbinghaus now known primarily for his work of memory – the first such study in history. On Memory, the first formal treatment of memory research as an experimental science Important in Ebbinghaus’s work: * Deserves to be better known for his tireless * Nonsense syllable promotion and support of scientific psychology in * Measures of remembering and forgetting its early period, when it was most vulnerable * Savings * Forgetting curve

29 30 2. Herman Ebbinghaus (1850 – 1909)

D. Impact on Psychology * Campaigning for a science of psychology independent of philosophy * Campaigning for funds and space * Setting the example of his systematic study of memory * Inspiring generations of memory researchers * Inspired young researchers at a critical time by encouraging views different from his own Source: Encarta http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/aencmed/targets/illus/cha/T629030A.gif

5 31 32 E.B. Titchener remembering Ebbinghaus at a conference at in 1910:

Quoted in Fuchs, A.H. (1997) The American Journal of Psychology, 110 (4), 621 – 633.

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