PSYC312 - HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY Chapter 4 Notes - Origins of Scientific Psychology in America Intro - 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America was approaching and preparations for World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago World's Fair) were underway. " Fair was scheduled to open in 1892 on a 600-acre site on shore of Lake Michigan > delayed until May 1, 1893, due to construction delays. · Main attraction of Fair was a giant Ferris wheel designed by George Ferris · Huge economic success and attracted over 27 million visitors during its 6-month run. " In one of the 200 buildings was a small exhibit called The Psychology Laboratory, organized by Joseph Jastrow of University of Wisconsin. - Psychology Laboratory . . Consisted of two rooms displaying scientific apparatus used in psychological experiments " Allowed visitors to measure their accuracy of movement, reaction time, color vision, sensitivity to pain, judgment of weights, memory, etc. · Public education campaign to establish scientific psychology as authority in matters psychological. Emergence of American experimental psychology was influenced by Wundt in Germany by American students and the contributions of William James, G. Stanley Hall, and James McKeen Cattell. - · William James was self-taught . G. Stanley Hall was James's doctoral student · James McKeen Cattell did his doctorate in Leipzig with Wundt. - These individuals were part of the same academic generation and functioned together in American psychology in the 1880s and 1890s. William James as a Psychologist - William James (1842-1910) · Philosopher and psychologist · Instrumental in establishing Harvard's psychology department " Born in New York City to a family of privilege and wealth. " In addition to schools in the US, also attended schools in France, England, and Switzerland. . James family was well educated and well-traveled, exposed to art, literature, music, and architecture. o James considered a career as a painter o Younger brother, Henry, became a famous novelist and lived in London for many years. · 1869: earned a medical degree from Harvard . 1872: hired by Harvard to teach courses in physiology · 1875: established a physiology laboratory to supplement new course on physiological psychology. o Some argue this lab was the first psychology lab in America o Better viewed as a demonstrational lab and not a research lab. - 1870: publisher Henry Holt began American Science Series. · 1878: Holt signed James as his author, · 10 years overdue it was published in two volumes and 1,400 pages as The Principles of Psychology. " Book has no rival for importance in history of American psychology. " Bas never been out of print and continues to sell today to new generations James's Principles - James's Principles was the American version of Wundt's Principles of Physiological Psychology, both being a compendium of work in the field of psychology. - George Trumbull Ladd had published Elements of Physiological Psychology three years before James's book.
- James's book was popular and successful due to his stress on personal utility and relevance of