Wilhelm Wundt

Wilhelm Max Wundt (August 16, 1832–August 31, 1920) was a German physiologist and psychologist. He is generally acknowledged as the founder of experimental psychology and cognitive psychology.

Related Topics:
August 16 - 1832 - August 31 - 1920 - Physiologist - Psychologist - Experimental psychology - Cognitive psychology

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Wundt combined philosophical introspection with techniques and laboratory apparatuses brought over from his physiological studies with Helmholtz, as well as many of his own design. This experimental introspection was in contrast to what had been called psychology until then, a branch of philosophy where people introspected themselves. Wundt argued that "we learn little about our minds from casual, haphazard self-observation...It is essential that observations be made by trained observers under carefully specified conditions for the purpose of answering a well-defined question." (Principles of Physiological Psychology, translated by Edward Titchener, 1904)

Related Topics:
Philosophical introspection - Laboratory apparatuses - Physiological studies - Helmholtz - Edward Titchener - 1904

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The methods Wundt used are still used in modern psychophysical work, where reactions to systematic presentations of well-defined external stimuli are measured in some way--reaction time, reactions, comparison with graded colors or sounds, and so forth. His chief method of investigation was called "introspection" in the terminology of the time, though "observation" may be a better translation.

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Wundt subscribed to a "psychophysical parallelism" (which entirely excludes the possibility of a mind-body/cause-effect relationship), which was supposed to stand above both materialism and idealism. His epistemology was an eclectic mixture of the ideas of Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant, and Hegel.

Related Topics:
Materialism - Idealism - Epistemology - Ideas - Spinoza - Leibniz - Kant - Hegel

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