Today, when I am suppose to talk to you about,
how psychology emerged as a discipline.
It reminds me of, an experience that I had
of several years back.
.
During my under graduate is, when I was going
through the history of psychology,
because it was a prescribed in the course
template at my university. I found the history
of
psychology to be very dull and dry. And the
primary reason, I guess now is, that thinks
were told to me in a very very what to call,
a linear fashion A, where the different
schools, the major personality and their contributions.
Now, it was talk to me and this is how, even
several law for the text books of history
of
psychology also talks about. Somehow, I found
it extremely dull, very, very dry, not at
all facility. 20 years, down the line, today,
when I read the history of psychology and
.when, I am in a position to a larger extent
to relate things. The constructs the personality,
the time frame. The happening, that was taking
place in and around, the other areas.
Now, I find the history of psychology to be
very fascinating. And I also find it relevant.
Something that, I did not find a know 20 years
back. Two important things, that I
understood was, the first that, at any given
time in the society, there are certain practical
needs. And development that takes place in
any discipline, basically is an attempt to
. those practical needs of the society. And
so has happened, even in
the case of psychology, where attempt was
made, because there was social compulsion.
Because, there was a need for certain things
at that given point in time. And therefore,
things develop the way, they have developed.
And second, that the strengths and the
limitations, can be very well understood,
only when you viewed things in their historical
context. The movement, you know, dealing it
from the context. The strengths and the
limitations of something, that has historically
taken place. It is very difficult to a
visualize it.
And therefore, now I find that the history
of psychology, when I am trying to in a very,
very comprehensive way, share it with you.
I find it extremely relevant, I find it very
fascinating. Traditionally, what has happened
is that, usually the books, the university
curriculum, they will talk about a major in
schools. And then you will have the different
stole wards, who give certain theory, who
give certain preposition. They are ((Refer
Time: 03:46)).
This could be one way of approaching, how
psychology emerges at this discipline. The
second approach could be, where you take the
major influences. The way, I have now
put it here, where you have the philosophical
influences.
..
The influences that was exhorted by development
in the areas of a physiological
sciences. And then how different school of
thoughts gradually started evolving. And then
finally, how contemporary development is taken
place in the areas of psychology. Now,
when I do all this, I will deviate a bit after
couple of minutes, what I will primarily do
is,
I look at now, two strong influences, the
philosophical influences and the physiological
influences.
And then I would go to the major schools.
And even, if the major schools, I would only
talk about the major theories or the major
ideas; that was developed at that point in
time.
And specially, my . would be, let how finally,
even though, we had
initially began with a philosophical influences.
How, psychology gradually started
emerging as discipline, which was more into
the scientific study of behavior, more into
our systematic study of behavior. And how,
this discipline actually became a much more
scientific in nature.
..
So, first, we begin with the philosophical
influences. And as you know, I am just
summarizing these major influences. Rene Descartes
was the first person, who you can
give the credit of influences in psychology.
And primarily, he was talking about the
mechanism and the mind body problem. A mechanistic
conception of the body was
another important construed; that he influences.
The theory of reflex actions was
something that, you can wrote it to Rene Descartes.
Mind body interaction was another very, very
strong and important construct. That
actually came, because of the influences of
Rene Descartes. And two important things,
one the localization of mental function in
the brain and doctrine of innate ideas. You
would find that, these six important developments
in the area of psychology can be
. to the Rene Descartes.
..
Auguste Comte, John Locke and George Berkeley,
these three important philosophers
also influence psychology to a greater extent.
And Comte can be given the credit for
influencing the concept like, positivism,
materialism and empiricism. And John Locke
talked about, how mind acquires knowledge.
And George Berkeley gets the credit of
talking about mentalism.
Then, we have, the influences of David Hartley,
James mill and John Stuart mill. Where,
David Hartley was actuality talking about
reputation. It was John mill, who talk about
mind as a machine. And John Stuart mill actually
talking about the mental chemistry. So,
many of these things, you find later on being
discussed in their domain of psychology,
which actually has it is root in the early
philosophical influences.
..
Another important influences at psychology
had, was from those who are working in the
area of physiology. And an important constructs
like, reflex behavior was proposed by
Marshall Hall. Hall also talks about, something
called extirpation, which actuality was a
process were you remove or you destroy, part
of the brain of an animal. And then you try
to observe the behavioral changes of the animal
us under gone.
So, this was another technique, which actually
was part of physiology. But, later on, you
find that psychology also was heavily influenced
by this technique. Paul Broca,
everybody in psychology knows him. And he
actually is given the credit of a evolving
this clinical method, were posthumously examination
of brain structure was done. And
he would primarily try to correlate the change
that has taken place in the brain.
And an accordingly, he would correlate with
the behavioral at the individual was
showing. So, basically a post survival stage,
post death of an individual. You just know
examine the brain. And you correlate the brain
with the behavior. This was little different
form the method; that was given by Marshall
Hall, where he was trying to destroy
remove part of the animal's brain.
And then trying to the see the changes, that
the animal has under gone. By 1870, an
.interesting method came forward. Till now,
the methods were either extirpation or the
clinical method.
.
But then Fritisch and Hitzig, they came forward
with the method of electrical
stimulation. Where week electric current were
introduced to the cerebral cortex. And
then the motor behavior of the subject, the
individual was observed. And he would find
that electrical stimulation as a technique
has been used for very, very long in a history
of
psychology.
Another important person was Hermann Helmholtz,
who not only influences
psychology. But, a primarily his contribution
was in the areas of physics, in the areas
of
psychology and by default, he also influences
development of psychology. Weber, who
actually, gets the credit of two things, the
concept of two point threshold and concept
of,
just notable difference, till date those who
study, the psychology of perception. In the
perception process, people do refer to two
point threshold and just disable difference.
And under graduate student, must be doing
practical and this constructs.
..
And another important person, who influences
psychology, was Fechner. Fechner D, talk
about the mind in the body, but most important
Fechner should we given the credit of
developing a technique were by the mind body
relationship can be quantify. Remember,
earlier also, now right from philosophical
days itself, the relationship was mind and
the
body was always being studies. It was always
primary area of interest for behavioral
society.
But, Fechner should given the credit, because
he did talk about the mind and body
relationship, but then the idea was primarily
to quantify this relationship. And till date,
psychology is under the influences of continuation
of human behavior. The concept of
absolute and different threshold was also
talk about by Fechner. And the three methods
of psycho physic that we read nowadays, the
average error, the methods of constant
stimuli and the methods of limits.
Fechner is giving the credit of limit is one
of the methods. And actually, he systematized
now the remaining of two methods. And all
these three methods are now establish
methods at have part of psycho physics. Gradually,
psychology after the influences of
this philosophical and people, who working
in the areas office psychology, psychology
started gradually taking it is shape.
..
And we all have heard about Wilhelm Wundt,
who primarily talks about the study of
conscious experience. And to him conscious
experience was both mediate and immediate
experience. Methods of introspection was giving
a major credit and the hole of
psychology started no revealing around this
very methods, that Wilhelm Wundt talk
about. He did talk about the elements of conscious
experience.
And primarily the whole concept of apperception,
which is actually how you
organizations. Now, the animals in your minds
that was, now some things that want talk
about. Hermann rehabbing as we all know him,
he gets the credit of influencing a
construct of learning, were spirally he talk
to about the nonsense elements. Till date,
you
find the reference of nonsense syllables.
Whenever, you talk about learning, whenever
you talk about memory, all experiment
across board, invariably have the usage of
nonsense syllables. Franz Brentano was
another important parson, who did talk about
the study of the mental acts.
..
And stump curl with phenomenology, which was
actually an introspective method,
which was the examining the experience as
it occurred rather than reducing it to
elementary component. And Stumpf way of looking
at introspective us the method,
started making of devastation from what would
not had initial suggested. And then it was
Kulpe, who talk about the systematic experimental
introspection.
And were introspective method was use to seeking
information about an individual, after
the experimental task was completed. And then
of course Kulpe also gets the credit is of
talking about image less thought.
..
A now, I am taking the root that is usually
followed in most of the books of history of
psychology. And most the university whose
structured followed the this templates, were
you talk about different schools. But, I must
tell you that may idea is, to just summarize
major individual and their contribution. The
major construct, that was talk about under
ablating of that wary school of thought in
psychology.
But, then once again, I will make a deviation,
once I complete the new Friedan’s
thereafter. And then there will no gradually
going to much more details of, how
psychology stared taking it is shape and becoming
more and more systematic and
scientific study of behavior.
So, coming to structuralism, Titchener give
the concept of the conscious experience and
he did contribute the lot to it. And then
comes functionalism, were the primary emphasis
force more on the functional outcome. And
once again, now you can trace it back to
Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin did not make
direct impact on psychology at his time.
He had a very diver’s interest and if you
can relate the parented development to the
contribution of Charles Darwin.
You will find inserting relationship, for
example, comparative psychology is one of
the
.branches of psychology. And when you start
to see the roots of this domain of
knowledge, you contrast back Charles Darwin,
who had actually focused on animal
psychology.
.
So, primarily the focused of attention on
animal psychology could be construed as the
basis for comparative psychology. Another
interesting thing was, that even thus concern
was the focused of tension till that time.
Charles Darwin suggested that the focused
deserved to be on the functions rather than
structure of consciousness. And two most
important things, one that Charles Darwin
should be given the credit of accepting
method, used in other areas.
As well as using data now, which is of interest
of, different domains of knowledge. So,
today, what we refer to as interdisciplinary,
what we refer to us multiple disciplinary.
It
was Charles Darwin, who should be given the
credit, who actually advocated for
accepting the method on the data from multiple
sources. And most importantly, the
construct of individual difference, the important
of measurement of individual
difference, what something that can once again
trust back to Charles Darwin.
So, that way, you can have this four important
contribution of Charles Darwin, which
.actually part of functionalism. If you want
to trust it back Sir Francis Galton, another
interesting individual, who actually talk
about mental inheritance. And he is known
for
his mental inheritance and talking all about
it. But, most important things, that he
actually contributed to was quantifications.
What Francis Galton was repeatedly talking
about was, at there is the possibility of
quantifying, whatever you observed in human
behavior.
.
Then, of course William James, who talk about
stream of consciousness of in
consciousness was the continuous flowing process.
And any attempt to reduce it to
elements would actually destroy it. Beside,
William James to have no long lists a people
in a psychology, who influences psychology
in one way. On the other, for example, you
can take Hall, Dewey, Angel, Carr and off
course Wood Worth.
..
But the most important things was the legacy
of the functionalism, which actually us
more and more and more to making psychology
a very, very application oriented
discipline. One the contribution of cattell,
who was actually into psychology testing and
Lighter Witmer are entire focus would be on
the testing movement how actually now
form one pies of work, it actually into the
whole area of the interest.
And second, the two important movements, that
took places, one clinical psychology
movement and the industrial organizations
psychology movement. And there you find
the difference of the Lighter Witmer. And
Walter Scott in the two difference movement
and this major contributions, which made psychology
more and more application
oriented discipline.
..
Besides that, the whole set of now gets of
psychology, what they are called us
Wertheimer, Koffka, Kohler. They contributed
a lot to understating the whole principal
of perceptual organizations. But, very interestingly,
when you read to the construct of
development of insight, especially, the study
of apps. There you find that, even the whole
contrast of education of information, learning
of information.
And how insight places and importing roles
in this the credit can again be given to the
ester psychologist. And off course, we know
the important of filed theory Kurt Lewin
gets the credit for the study of motivation
and all psychology would know the Zeigarnik
effect.
..
Then, we come to behaviorism, were the major
theory came Thorndike to came forward
with new insurgent called the puzzle box,
were he did it experiment. And this is how
to
the method trial and error came in to picture.
And two important laws came into distance
law of effect and law exercise. Ivan Pavlov,
we all know him, who gives the whole
concept of classical conditioning. All though,
Ivan Pavlov was working from some other
problem, but the outcome that he got influences
psychology, what called the strong us
possible extent and we have know the whole
construct of classical conditioning.
..
Watson and influences psychology like anything,
Tolman and should also be given the
credit of interdict the concept of intervening
variables the psychology. Till, that I know
psychology was mostly look at, know from the
independent and depending clusters of
veritable. It was Tolman, who did interdict
the concept of intervening variables and then
Clark Hull, who did talk about the hypothetic
deductive method.
.
.But, once aging, B. F. Skinner, who did come
forward with major construct of operant
conditioning. And besides, know the spelling,
whole constrict of operant conditioning
skinner also get the credit of introducing
the scheduled of reinforcement, which once
aging is mega construct in psychology. And
the concept of successive approximation,
which actually explanation know, how complex
behavior accrued by human begins.
So, these were the major construct that was
actually talked about during the era of
behaviorism.
.
But, once again, socio behaviorism know came
into picture and specially, you have two
important individual contributed in this areas.
Albert Bandura, who gets the credit for
introducing the concept of vicarious reinforcement
and also talking about self-efficacy.
Julian Rotter, who did talk about, locus of
control, all psychology would certainly be
reading the constructs given by them.
And many of these concepts are still part
of not only the understanding of this subject.
But, also you find them being use them there
practical class.
..
And come psycho analysis, where Sigmund Freud,
suddenly know talk a different term,
were he talk about the theories of the unconscious
mind. He did focuses on the sexual
basis of neurosis. Evolved dream analysis
technique and most importantly, he did talk
about psychoanalysis both as a therapeutic
technique and he also talk about
psychoanalysis as a system of personality.
.
.And lateron, came Anna Freud, Klein, Carl
Jung, Alfred Adler and Karen Horney, all of
them, who are usually a called us neon peradiance,
who did not know challenge the
major consternation of psychoanalysis. But,
did to right to explain human behavior, in
way which was devoting from the usually way
Freud Klein explain. So, was the major
contribution? But, then by that time, the
personality was being explain a by
psychoanalysis.
.
There was another parallel developed that
to place, where a now different personality
theory is started. And there emerged the whole
humanistic psychology and especially
two inveigle Abraham Maslow to give the concept
of self actualization. And Carl Roars,
who talk about who did talk about positive
regard, the unconditional love of the mother
for an infant, he talk about it and this two
were important construct.
..
Gradually, psychology stared a taking different
and then come and important turn around
in the history of psychology, what I am referring
hear contempt development. When,
George Miller stared is work George Miller
telling well was not psychology, this he was
into language. And later on, he did contribute
in very big him talking about
psychoanalysis. And then it was Ulric Neisser,
who did know compare the functions of
human being with respect to the metaphor used
to computer.
And this was the major turnaround, there was
shift from the x o r pattern and
understanding human behavior, where we talk
about stimuli organic response. When you
talked about input transformation and output
and this how clacked psychology come into
the exit is. More and more influences of the
praised process, which made it cognitive
neuro science.
In fact, later on in the this series there
is section on near psychology, were you would
have now to the specter talking our different
topics. And then know there was the also
this influences biology, were it not only
a study has psycho biology, but it was also
intersection from socials biology point of
you. And more and more importantly, the
evolutionary psychology most out has an interesting
areas were behavior was no trust
back to usually biology way of explanation.
.So, the traditional method use in psychology,
the scientific regard of making
predestination about human behavior. But,
then also taking and evolutionary view point.
Having no summarized the historic of psychology
an initial.
.
Now, making and attempt to visit the scientific
psychology. And as I told you, that I
would now you making very, very, surgical
intervention into the history of psychology,
were I would try to trace, how psychology
actually become more and more a scientific
as
they domain of study. Now, for this I am selectively
choosing the whole historic of
psychology testing. And you can consider and
Wilhelm Wundt. Francis and Galton
James Cattle can be considering as the founders
of the modern psychology testing.
But, I am must tell you that, if you start
looking at historic of once again the testing
he
would relays, that testing can be trust back
two of very, very old parties in china. So,
now onwards, what I doing that, I will first
being with mega, china, what actually were
being parties there. And then we learn most
two different European countries is, were
different.
Development to palace coming to US psychology
taking forward it is modern format a
will than between European and US. And then
once again he reenter back to idea as see
.how now development to palace within this
country and inspect it has on over the
development of psychology is the discipline.
.
Psychology testing is little more than 100
year old. But, then even though it very timid
beginning, it now became big business you
have different, different testing houses were
you pay a large amount of money. There are
so this of know letter being by different
constancy agency, government agency. This
is taking shape of big business. Very
interestingly, sudden cultural suction, we
all around psychology testing and assessment.
Higher effect to Medina and Neel, who estimated
that the use of achievement and ability
tests in US is the formally 200 million per
year. And this gives you, a idea to quantum
of
this size of this whole development at as
taking place.
..
Going back to history Francis Galton, he can
give the credit of development the first
battery, what was assortment of sensory. And
motor measures and later on, it was cattle,
who should be given the credit of talking
about mantle tests and the measurements.
.
Having said that now less go back to china
and they you realizes the test in can be dated
.back to 2200 BC. And I refer to lie hear,
to say that very third year the officials
in china
had to contested to underwent test of fitness.
The hand dynasty in china introduced to
written test in 5 areas, civil law, military
of affairs, agriculture, revenue and geography.
This was the five areas. And interestingly,
you will find that by 1370, the three tier
that
was evolved.
The preliminary examinations, were all of
the first 1 to 10 percent pass to preliminary
exam, they took of the district exam and 1
to 10 person thus he cull piled, it they have
to
go taking the final exam. So, write from 2200
B C you find that society felt need for
testing and human capability. And even though,
it was not Hacked psychology in nature.
But you do find that there was no pelt need.
That I was referring beginning after 20 years,
when I realized that actually there are
certain contemporary, need to the society.
There are certain now a parasitical need of
the
society that demands that certain things should
it decently wall.
.
And there for now you find now psychology
testing was being practiced in china in
different from off course. What interest to
obey also it that all thus testing can be
trust
back to 2200 BC. But, the validations of this
whole process was actually not into picture
.on it always remembering issue that time.
And this whole testing system, he was an
abolished by 1906.
Another important development that took places
was not in the areas of psychology, but
in her system displaying psycyatric. In Germany,
Grashey was physician, who actually
thought of measuring loss of certain capabilities
in the brain injured patients. The whole
idea was to show word symbols and pictures
through slot in the sheet of a paper. That
moved slowly over these stimuli.
So, one sheet of a paper, it will have word,
it will have symbols, it will have pictures.
And then you have another sheet put over it,
which will have a slot, they have the open
slots. And you move the paper with slows over
the pictures, now which us this word
symbols and pictures. This is actually what
see, memory drum. So, this actually the
process by Grashey can be considering this
was precursor of the memory drum.
And you see hear the write now screen have
the memory drum, off course, now it is
being faced out because of the contrition
developed of computers. Because, you can
replaces presentation of the stimuli. But,
traditionally, I do not know the modern term
how many people have seeing memory drum. But,
I remember by may own under
graduation this, were memory drum was you
interment in the psychology lab.
Were, now you can see hear rooter put there,
this rooter actually could be use to adjust
the speed of the mo vent of the drum. And
this and that sky blue plate that you see
in the
top and white opening there now and open the
stets there were you have the blinking
arrow. Beneath which drum was there, which
were use to a know put a sheet of prepare
to faced it, with the stimuli.
Like the stimuli, would then we again anything
a largely to used to be words, it could be
nonsense syllabus, it could be pictures. All
you in sure is that without error you are
in a
position to present stimulate to your human
subject after a certain temporal limited.
So,
you have known design your experiment an you
show in that after every laps of these
many seconds. That stimulate would change
and memory used serve this purpose.
.Now, off course with development of computer,
memory drum an instrument as last
probably significance. But, then it play a
very, very significant role. All I am trying
to
say is that it is not only the concept that
develop, it is also the need of the society.
It is
also the development of certain tools, the
development of certain techniques. That should
be technique in to account, when we talk of
how psychology human as a discipline.
.
Another germen psychiatrist a Conrad Rigger,
he developed at test battery for brain
damaged patients. Now, you remember see an
interesting thing know, the first test
battery that we were referring to was trace
back to Francis Galton.
..
An after Francis Galton, you realize that
it is basically Grashey who thought of the
brain
damaged patients. And came for what not with
the test battery, but return instruments.
An again it was Conrad Rigor who again thought
of no assessment of brain damaged
patient, but this time, it was not an instrument;
it was the test battery the limitation. With
this test battery was that, for it is administration
you needed more than 100 hours.
Something, let is in practical symptoms usage
and although it did not receive that much
acceptance, these two developments, the development
of memory drum as a tool and the
development of the test battery did contribute
to the centralization process. So, today,
when we talked about standardize this in psychology.
You can again refer it back to this
tools significant development in the history
of psychology.
..
Now, assessment of brain damaged patient and
psychiatric symptoms became possible,
because of know this two things. Another interesting
thing, we are stilling Germany
right, we are looking at development taking
place in Germany. Experimental psychology
thrived know in Europe and also England. And
Wilhelm Wundt, he was actually trying
to measured mental processes, through the
help of a thought meter.
On your screen, what you see a swinging pendant
of hitting to bells on two sided was
actually know what Wilhelm Wundt called as
thought meter. an remember, that with was
this was 1862, when you trying to do this.
Thought meter actually a Callebaut pendulum
with needles on both sides. And while swinging,
always no middle to a stick the bells.
Now, the observer had a task note the position
the pendulum when he heard the sound of
the bell. Now, Wundt had adjusted the needles
before hand and therefore, new the
position of the pendulum. What actually be
recorded was, the difference between the
actual an observe position determined the
through the experiment. An actually this whole
process actually determined the swiftness
of thought of the observer.
..
Wilhelm Wundt that for each person there must
be a certain speed thinking, which he
can never exceed with his given mental constitution.
If you know look at thought meter,
if you look at the those whole process, it
might look as if it was very, very primary
type
of an investigation of how we human being
perform. But, remember that, this very
experiment serve the understanding of several
processes, which was actually a cause of
concern for is scientists in those days.
In the area of astronomy, there was a big
debate going on, because people in the
observatory would we a keep. No, attracting
the movement starts and then two different
people would report change by certain time.
And therefore, when Wilhelm Wundt
experimented, using thought meter, with whatever
way it influent psychology. It did
serve the purpose of answering the question
in astronomy.
Now, an another interesting thing was, that
this experimental approach also contributed
to the understanding of certain very white
psychological process. Such as attention,
motivation, self correction and of prime important,
once again, individual differences.
Now, all four of them are extremely important
construct in psychology till date. And you
can refer it back to and experiment then by
Wilhelm Wundt in 1862. So, this is an
interesting are development that took place.
.Let us know, now go back from a Germany to
England, where Sir Francis Galton
actually attempted to measure intellect by
measuring reaction time and sensory
discrimination.
.
So, these two are is important constructs
and his work actually helps understand
individual a differences in a much. I am not
going in to the details of what actually
proposed. But, what I am trying to tell here
is, that the fact that the difference between
two individual can we majored, can be quantify
his something is that no we should give
create to Sir Francis Galton.
Very interestingly, he established a psychometric
laboratory in London at the
international health exhibition. And again,
it was 1884, when we did so.
..
Now, we can see on your screen, there was
long quarry door with tables a put their and
he had put different the instrument. There.
And those instruments were primarily
supposed to measure physical characteristics
as well as behavioral at say us are all puts.
Now, physical characteristics such as height
weight head length head breadth, arm span,
length of the lower arm and so for the physical
characteristics.
The behavioral tests such as strength of hand
squeeze lungs capacity, visual acuity,
reaction time, speed of blow. And the highest
audible tone, that can be received by the
individual. These were the behavioral test
that we had exhibited at that time.
..
Interestingly, 17000 people were tested now
hw we a during this exhibition. And you
will surprised that, 7500 records of those
75000 individuals are still available. And
of
course, I refer to the walk of Johnson and
his colleagues for this. But, most importantly
once again as you can see that blinking statement
on here mo screen, that dynamometer
used to measure strength of hand squeeze.
And even now two measure grip strength, to
measure this strength of hand, to measure
strength of the squeeze dynamometer is still
used as a too. So, something that was used
long back at that time, you find at that makes
a sense to psychology still date. This
method of measuring an intelligent of course
perished. But, it did clear that objective
tests could can be devised.
So, this was an interesting realization and
that the scores that you draw out of your
objective test, can be used draw inference.
Remember that, now when you talk of
statistical interpretation of you data, you
do talk about inferential statistic. Psychology
as
move to the extent way of attempts are always
being made with respect to, how much
inference can be drawn from what we observe.
..
Now, let us no go to the US, James Cattle
a developed a series of test. And he coined
the
term mental test in his paper mental tests
and measurements. What he actually was
talking about of course the fact that the
bodily and the mental energies, they are
inseparable. You cannot separate them, 1,
2 that physiological measure is also an index
of mental power of an individual.
.
.And the interest of James cattle included
strength of hand squeeze using, dynamometer,
rate of hand movement, two point threshold
for touch. I am sure many under graduation
students must have than practices on a two
point threshold pressure. Degree of pressure,
that is needed to cause pain, weight difference,
reaction time for sound, time for naming
color, bisection of a 50 centimeter line,
judgment of 10 second of time. And number
of
letter a repeated on one hearing.
.
So, these were his interest. Interestingly,
James Cattle had off course good number of
students, 4 of his students now mate significance
contribution to the development of
psychology is a discipline. Thorndike, who
is famous for learning theories, Wood Worth
who wrote the exemplary books on experimental
psychology, E. K. Strong, who is given
of developing they vocational interest blank.
And Wissler, who actually know made
correlation study between the mental test
scores and the academic performance.
So, actually whether psychology test is purpose
that it is meant for, so something that
you tested.
..
Now, a Wissler in 1901, he did find the absence
of correlation between the mental test
scores with the academic achievement. Now,
experimentalists by that time, gradually
started discarding the concept of reaction
time and sensory discrimination as a measures
of intelligence. And of course, Wissler also
no gradually turned is interest anthropology.
But, 70 years later, you a find that reaction
time, once again, revived as a measure
construct.
Today, 2013 with all these modern equipments
that are being used in psychology
laboratory. You still have reaction time as
an important variable in your study. But,
once
again you can see that this measurement of
reaction time, can once again we test back.
..
We once again come back to Europe, in the
middle ages in Europe, a people with
intellectual disabilities were occasionally
diagnosed as witches. And they were put to
death by burning. Bromberg he has known refer
to a book, flagellum salutes. Where, he
say that a prominent physician advocated beating
as treatment for certain types of
psychology phenomena.
That is, like melancholia frenzy paralysis
epilepsy and facial expression of feebleminded.
So, you can understand to what great extent
feebleminded nests was this regarded by the
contemporary society near up.
..
But then two French physicians esquire and
Seguin, they revolutionized thinking of
people in the Europe about people who suffer
from mental retardation. Now, esquire
actually was the first propose a three tier
classification system for those, who are
suffering from mental retardation.
.
.And this classification of was based on language
skills. First those for use short phrases,
two those who use only monosyllables. And
of course, those who can only cries, what
they cannot speech. In the late, 1800 a Seguin
was the one, who was instrumental in a
promoting humanistic view towards the individual
suffer from mental retardation. And
he was the one also developed educational
program for the mentally retarded.
In 1838, he established an experimental class
for them. So, you find at there was a big
change know in terms of catering to the need
of people, which mental retardation.
.
Now, Blin and Damaye in France, they can forward
with the battery of assessment for
the mentally retarded. This at 20 areas no
such as spoken language, knowledge of parts
of the body, obedience to simple commands,
naming common objects or ability to read
write and do simple arithmetic.
..
What you find is, that there was know a big
debate taking place in contemporary Europe.
And then there was also of felt need by the
society, that that set of the people who suffer
from certain type of feeblemindedness or what
was later on term as mental retardation
how. So, deserves the attention of the psychologies.
So, the social background of this
time desperately needed a psychological tool
for identification of such children.
In 1904 an interesting development to place
the minister of public instruction in Paris
appointed a commission to formulate educational
measures. And Alfred Binet, student
Simon, they were asked to help the Paris school
system identify children, who are
unlikely to benefit from the ordinary instruction.
That is being imported, there are and
this is how, Binet came forward with is first
test of intelligence in 1905. This is
considered to be a measure mile tones in modern
psychology.
.
