Beginnings of Psychology in the US

Before 1880’s, two major psychological traditions in US –Phrenology Despite its errors, phrenology was “objective” – I.e., relied on measurement Flourished outside the schools – physicians, businessmen and reformers found it met needs »Interest among physicians practicing in mental hospitals »Without totally accepting, they thought it offered general guidance in thinking about abnormal functioning of the mind »Phrenology was minor theme in various activities directed toward, e.g., temperance, anti-tobacco, birth control –Extremely popular with general public in US »Even in latter part of 20 th century, popular magazines featured it and phrenology charts remained a staple at fortune teller booths at amusement parks »Phrenology did “serve the function of making the man in the street aware that he had a brain” (R.I. Watson, 1968).

–Scottish “psychology” Associationist tradition –Mainly introspective and non-empirical –Common sense philosophy

US textbooks written to review European literature; work in US overshadowed to near oblivion Before Civil War –Colleges typically had one curriculum, emphasizing Latin, Greek, Mathematics, Philosophy. Little instruction in physical sciences, and then usually without labs –Scientific work done almost completely outside colleges (as in England, but without the benefit of the well-to-do amateur) –Establishment of scientific schools (Renssellaer, Yale, Harvard) helped change this, though they were isolated from the colleges. Med schools started to contribute, although not much research there. –Enrollments in colleges declined as they became more out of touch with the times; number of students going to Germany for graduate study increased (in 1880, there were about as many US students abroad as in US) –German universities dominated by idea of research; scientific centers of the world

After Civil War, movement to extend scope and improve quality of university education –Presidents of Cornell, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard introduced changes. As result, these schools figure prominently in development of psych. –G. Stanley Hall, 1 st president at Clark influenced by European grad schools –Stanford, U of Chicago, Yale, and Princeton figured prominently in this trend Important reforms: –Introduction of elective system to replace fixed curriculum. Consequence: increase in # of courses and in number of departments, e.g., modern languages, social sciences, psychology –Establishment of graduate schools Earlier, M.A. based on 5 th yr of residence Johns Hopkins– grad school opened in 1876, with independent research project required of all students.

In these changes, Psychology had “favored” and strategic position. –“new” subject brought from the German system While psych still located in philosophy departments in Germany, the introduction of psychology instruction in US often led to creation of independent departments –Economic and social conditions in US made application of psychology almost a “foregone conclusion”. These were years of preparation to become a science; still not much scientific advance, however.