Hugo Münsterberg ( )

Early Career  Obtained his Ph.D. under Wundt in 1882  Directed the lab in Freiburg (Swirtzerland) --had the lab in his own house.  In 1892, enticed by James to direct the Psychology lab at Harvard University  In 1902, wrote American Traits

Münsterberg on Psych classics  (1893b). Psychological laboratory of Harvard University. [A catalogue of equipment and readings, prepared for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.]Psychological laboratory of Harvard University  (1899). Psychology and history. Psychological Review, 6, [Münsterberg's APA Presidential address about the epistemological relation between the natural and the normative sciences. First English discussion of idiographic and nomothetic methods, later popularized by Gordon Allport.]Psychology and history  (1908/1925). On the witness stand. [Attempt to sell the insights and methods of scientific psychology to the legal community; foreshadows many of today's issues in forensic psychology.]On the witness stand  (1913). Psychology and industrial efficiency. [Attempt to sell the insights and methods of scientific psychology to the industry; major early contribution to industrial/organizational psychology.]Psychology and industrial efficiency

About the Münster lab  ab/ ab/  Go to the URL, look at the pictures, glance at the contents of the catalog, look at the experiments that were on- going. If you were in that lab, which of these experiments would interest you most?

Münsterberg and the definition of psychology  In his APA presidential address, Münsterberg defines the boundaries of psychology in relation to other fields such as history, physics and logic.APA presidential address

Forensics  Go look at his writings on forensics at  Look at the content of his writings. Choose something to read. Summarize. What do you think?

Industrial Psychology  This is the first "official" applied psychology book. What does Münsterberg think of applied psychology?official" applied psychology book.  What are the areas of industrial psychology Münsterberg considers important?  What do you think of his analysis?

Forensics today  APA Division 41 at  Go to the division site itself  What material there is interesting to students?  Go to their "links", explore some of the other organizations

Industrial Psychology Today  APA division  Go to the SIOP site. What seem to be some of the important issues today? What materials on there might be of special interest to students?

Applied research relevant to forensics  The work of Elizabeth Loftus. Look at her site at  Read one of her articles. A well-known article that has become a classic is that about creating false memories at icles/sciam.htm icles/sciam.htm

Münsterberg and psychotherapy  Wrote Psychotherapy in 1909  advocates a behavioral approach. There is no subconscious --though for a time, he did use hypnosis.  Read a 1911 encyclopedia article on psychotherapy that uses Münsterberg as one of its sources. Go to 9a.htm 9a.htm

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