William Wundt

Characterrelationship

Turnofferrorcorrection

• StudentHugo·Munsterberg

  Error4613653hasbeenreported.

Character'slife

Childhood

OnAugust16,1832,WundtwasborninGermanyThetownofNeckarauinMannheim,Badenisthefourthchildinthefamily.HisfatherisaLutheranpastor.Whenhewas4yearsold,hemovedwithhisfamilytothetownofHeidelsheiminthecentralpartofBadenandspenthischildhoodhere.WundthasanolderbrothernamedLudwig,whois8yearsolderthanWundt.WhenWundtwas2yearsold,hisbrotherwassenttohisaunt'shouseinHeidelbergandattendedschoolthere.

Wundthadfewpartnersinchildhood,andtheonlyonewhohadagoodrelationshipwithhimwasachildwhowasolderthanhimwhohadsomeproblemswithintellectualdevelopment.Hewenttoschoolinthetownfor2years.Duringschool,FengTehadaseriousproblemwithdaydreaming,andwasreprimandedbyhisfatherforthis.

Sincehewas8yearsold,hisfather'sassistantPastorFrederickMullerbecamehisteacher.Hehasaverygoodrelationshipwithhisteacher,sothatafterthreeyearsofteachinghim,theteacherwillgotoanothernearbytowntobeapastor,andWundtalsolivedandstudiedwithhim.

Middleschoolperiod

In1845,underthearrangementofhisparents,WundtenteredBruchsalHighSchooltostudy.ShyandtimidWundtdidnotadapttotheenvironmenthere,didnotformagoodrelationshipwithhisclassmates,andhisacademicperformancewasparticularlypoor.Sometimeshewouldescapehome,buthismotherwouldsendhimbacktoschool.Duetohispooracademicperformance,someteacherseventhinkthatamoresuitablejobforWundtistoworkatthepostoffice.Wundt’sparentssenthimtohisaunt’shomeinHeidelberginthesameyear,whereheattendedpre-universitycoursesintheautumnof1845.Whilelivingandstudyinghere,Wundtbecamealotmorecheerful,metsomefriends,andparticipatedinextracurricularactivities.ButWundt'slearningsituationhereisstillmediocre.

Universityperiod

In1851,WundtenteredtheUniversityofTubingentostudymedicine.

In1852,hetransferredtoHeidelbergUniversitytostudymedicine.DuringhisstudiesatHeidelbergUniversity,Wundtstudiedveryhard.Onceinordertostudytheeffectofsaltonthebody,hecontrolledtheintakeofsaltinfoodforseveraldaysuntilthebodyhadmetabolicdisorders.Basedonthisresearch,hepublishedhisfirstarticle"OnSodiumChlorideinUrine"in1853.

In1855,WundtparticipatedinthemedicalqualificationexaminationoftheGrandDuchyofBadenandrankedamongthebestinallexaminations.Thisyear,healsoworkedasaninterninahospitalinHeidelbergforseveralmonths.

In1856,WundtwenttotheUniversityofBerlintostudyphysiologywithJohannesPeterMüllerandEmileDubois-Remforasemester.Inthesameyear,WundtgraduatedfromtheFacultyofMedicineofHeidelbergUniversitywithaPh.D.andobtainedthequalificationoflecturerintheschool.

TeacherinHeidelberg

In1857,WundtopenedacourseinexperimentalphysiologyattheUniversityofHeidelberg.Inthesameyear,Wundthadaseriousillness.

In1858,HermannvonHelmholtzcametoHeidelbergUniversityasaprofessorattheInstituteofPhysiology,andWundtbecamehislaboratoryassistant.

In1862,Wundtopenedthe"PsychologyofNaturalScience"course(laterchangedto"PhysiologicalPsychology"),andtheterm"experimentalpsychology"wasfirstproposedthatyear.Inthiscourse,hebegantostudypsychologyusingexperimentalmethodsfromnaturalsciencesandneurophysiologicalresearchresults.

In1864hewaspromotedtoassociateprofessor.

In1871,HelmholtzleftHeidelbergUniversity.Wundtfailedtosucceedhimandonlyreceivedthetitleofinterimprofessor.InthesameyearhemarriedhisfiancéSophieMao.Aftermarriage,Wundtdevotedhimselftowriting"PrinciplesofPhysiologicalPsychology",oneofthemostimportantworksinthehistoryofpsychology.

In1874,"PrinciplesofPhysiologicalPsychology"waspublished.Thisisthefirsttextbookdedicatedtopsychologyinthehistoryofpsychology.Inthisbook,heorganizestheresultsofpsychologicalexperimentsintoasystem,andstudiesthefollowingmentalactivitiesofpeople:feeling,emotion,will,perception(Wundtcallsitperception),andthinking.

Leipzig’steachingandretirement

In1875,WundtwashiredasaprofessorofphilosophybytheUniversityofLeipzigandhasbeenlivinginLeipzigeversince.

InDecember1879,Wundtestablishedtheworld'sfirstpsychologylaboratoryintheuniversity.Atfirsttheschooldidnotsupporttheoperationofthislaboratory,butWundt’sclassesbecamemoreandmorepopular.In1882,thelaboratorymovedfromasingleroomtoanewaddresswith11rooms.In1897,thelaboratoryevenhadanindependentlaboratory.Ofthefloor.

In1881,Wundtfoundedthe"PhilosophicalResearch"magazine.Thisisthefirstprofessionaljournalofexperimentalpsychology.

1889-90,servedasthepresidentofLeipzigUniversity.

In1917,heretiredfromteachingandwassucceededbyhisstudentFelixKruger.

SincecomingtoLeipzig,Wundthasalmostnevertraveled,excepttoenjoyconcerts,andisnotkeenonpublicactivities;however,heandhiswifeoftenentertainseniorstudentsandassistantsathome.LikeKant,Wundthasalwayslivedarigorousandregularlife.Thetimeinthemorningismainlyusedforwriting,andintheafternoonhevisitsthelaboratory,attendsclasses,andthentakesawalk.Wundtisfullofpassionandeloquenceintheclassroom,whichfullyreflectshisomnisciencetotheprofession.

OnAugust31,1920,WundtdiedinGreatBottennearLeipzigattheageof88.Inthatyear,theten-volumemasterpiece"NationalPsychology",whichtookhim20yearstocomplete,waspublished.

Academicsystem

TheWundtpsychologicalsystemfocusesonthecontent,structure,elementsandcombinationrulesofthestudyofconsciousnessandexperience.Thewholesystemconsistsoftwoparts:individualpsychology(ie,experimentalpsychology)andethnicpsychology.Individualpsychologyfocusesonthestudyofindividualconsciousness;socialpsychologystudiestheadvancedpsychologicalprocessesofhumanbeings.

Researchobject

InWundt’spsychologysystem,theresearchobjectofindividualpsychologyisthedirectexperienceoftheindividual;theresearchobjectofethnicpsychologyisthehigh-levelpsychologicalprocessofhumanbeings.

Wundtbelievesthatexperimentalpsychologyisthescienceofdirectexperience.Hebelievesthatbothpsychologyandnaturalsciencesarebasedonexperience,buttheyarestudiedfromdifferentangles.Fromtheperspectiveofthesubjectofexperience,psychologicalprocessessuchasfeelings,feelings,andwillaredirectlyexperiencedbythesubject,whichisanimmediateexperience,whichistheresearchobjectofpsychology.Fromtheperspectiveoftheobjectofexperience,people’sexperienceoftheexternalworldisknownthroughindirectinference,whichisanindirectexperience(mediateexperience),whichistheobjectofnaturalscience.Therefore,Wundtcallspsychologya"disciplineofdirectexperience."

Wundtbelievesthatexperimentalpsychologycanonlystudythedirectexperienceofindividuals,whilehumanadvancedpsychologicalprocesses,suchasconcepts,emotions,andwill,needtobestudiedinthesystemofnationalpsychology.

Researchmethods

Fromthetheoreticalsystemandresearchobjectsofpsychology,Wundtdeterminedtworesearchmethodsofpsychology,theexperimentalintrospectionmethodandthepsychologicalproductanalysismethod.

Experimentalintrospection

BecauseWundtdefinestheobjectofindividualpsychologyasthedirectexperienceoftheresearcher,andthedirectexperienceexistsintheexperiencerHebelievesthatintrospectionisauniqueresearchmethodofpsychology.Wundtbelievesthatthetraditionalintrospectionmethodisunscientificandmustbecombinedwiththeexperimentalmethod.Onlybymeansofexperimentintrospectionorself-observationcanitbescientificandreliable.Becausepsychologicalphenomenaarefleetingandnoteasytoobserveaccurately,thecombinationofintrospectionandexperimentationcanachievethefollowingtwopoints:(1)Artificiallycreateexternalconditionssothatacertainpsychologicalprocessoccursatacertainmoment(2)Allowtheobservertocontrolthegeneralsituation,sothatthestateofconsciousnessaccompanyingthisprocessisalmostthesame.Therefore,Wundtattachesgreatimportancetoexperiments,andbelievesthat"experimentalmethodsarethebasictoolsforstudyingtheprocessofconsciousness."Wundtintroducedexperimentalmethodsintopsychology,transformedtraditionalexperienceintrospectionintomodernexperimentalintrospection,andstrengthenedthescientificnatureofpsychologyresearch.

Psychologicalproductanalysismethod

Psychologicalproductanalysismethodisaspecialmethodofstudyingsocialpsychologythroughhumanhistoricalandculturaldata.Wundtbelievesthatinordertoestablishacompletepsychologicalsystem,inadditiontoindividualexperimentalpsychology,theremustalsobegroupethnicpsychology;experimentalpsychologyonlyinvolvesthe"periphery"ofthesoul,andethnicpsychologycanreachthedepthsofthesoul.Inhisbook"NationalPsychology",Wundttriedtoclassifyandinterpretculturalproducts,suchaslanguage,myths,customs,lawsandotherhistoricalmaterials,toexplaintheadvancedhumanpsychologicalprocessandrevealthedevelopmentlawofsocialpsychology..

Researchtasks

Wundt’sthoughtsareinfluencedbyHerbart’spsychologicalthoughts,associativepsychologythoughtssinceLocke,andJohnMueller’spsychochemicalthoughts.Thetaskofscienceistostudytheconstituentelementsofthepsychologicalcomplexanditsconstructionmethodsandlaws,thatistosay,toanswerthefollowingthreequestions:(1)Whataretheelementsofthepsychology;(2)Whatisthestructureofthepsychologicalcomplex;(3))Whatisthelawofformationofmentalcomplex?

Analysisofpsychologicalelements

Wundtbelievesthatallpsychologicalphenomenaarecomposedofpsychologicalelements.Theanalysisofpsychologicalelementsisthefirstquestionthatpsychologymustanswer.Inhisview,thepsychologicalcomplexistheunityofpsychologicalelements;thepsychologicalelementisanindivisibleunitofthepsychologicalstructure,whichincludestwoaspects:sensationandemotion.Wundtpointedoutthatsensationisthebasicunitofpsychologicalelements,presentingtheobjectivecontentofhumanexperience.Andfeeling(feeling)showsthesubjectivecontentofhumanexperience,whichisthesubjectivesupplementoffeelingelements.Wundtbelievesthatfeelingsandemotionsareinterrelated,andsimpleemotionsareproducedwithfeelings.

Wundtbelievesthatfeelingscannotonlybedescribedintermsofpleasureandunpleasantness,butneedtobedescribedinthreedimensionstobemoreaccurate,namely:(1)pleasant-unpleasant;(2)tension-relaxation;(Three)Excitement-calmness.Wundtthereforeproposedthetri-dimensionaltheoryoffeelingin1896.

Structureofmentalcomplex

Wundtbelievesthatmentalelementscanbecombinedintovariousmentalcomplexes.Hecalledthementalcomplexcomposedofsensationsanidea.Therearetwokindsofconcepts:oneismemory(ormemoryimage),whichisnotdirectlycausedbyexternalimpressions;theotherisperception,whichisformedbyexternalsensoryimpressions.Concept.

Wundtbelievesthatthementalcomplexhasemotionsinadditiontoideas;itisacomplexcomposedofseveralemotions.Becauseemotionsmakeupemotions,andemotionsleadtowill,Wundtregardsbothemotionandwillasacomplexcomposedofemotions.InWundt'sview,althoughthevolitionalprocessisahigh-levelpsychologicalcomplex,itisalsothemostbasicandprimitivelifeprocessofhumansandanimals.Wundtbelievesthatsimplewillisanunconsciousimpulseandtheessenceoforganismlife.Itoriginatesfromprimitivefeelingsandcausesimpulsivebehavior.Ontheotherhand,complexwillcausesintentionalandselectivebehaviors,manifestedasfeelingofresolutionandfeelingofdecision.

Theformationlawofpsychologicalcomplex

Wundtbelievesthatpsychologicalelementsarecombinedintoapsychologicalcomplexthroughassociationandperception.Therearefourbasicformsofassociation:(1)fusion,thatis,theintegrationofanumberofpsychologicalelements;(2)assimilation,thatis,twoobjectswithsmalldifferencesinafamiliarrelationshiptendtoproduceTheconceptofequivalence;(three)complex(complication),thatis,theassociationbetweendifferentfeelings;(four)successiveassociation(successiveassociation),thatis,theassociationofmemory.Wundtbelievesthatperceptionistheprocessofraisingtheimpressiontothefocusofattentionorthecenterofconsciousness,andhasthefunctionofcreativesynhesis.Wundtbelievesthattheabove-mentionedcombinationofassociationsispassive,mechanicalandlow-level,andonlythecombinationofperceptionisactive,internalandhigh-level.Wundtemphasizedtheinitiativeandintegrationofperception,andpointedoutthatvariouspsychologicalelementsformanewpsychologicalcomplexthroughthecreativesynthesisofintegration,andtheactivitiesofhumanrationalknowledgearemainlyrealizedthroughthecreativesynthesisofperception.

Publishedworks

Mainworks

"ContributionstotheTheoryofSensoryPerception"(1862)

Inthisbook,Wundtproposedtheconceptof"experimentalpsychology"forthefirsttime.Thisbook,togetherwithFechner's"OutlineofPsychophysics",isoftenthoughttohaveledtothebirthofanewpsychology(ieexperimentalpsychology).

"ALectureontheMindofHumansandAnimals"(1863)

ThisworkisthepreliminaryworkofWundt’snewpsychologicalsystemconception.Thisbookdiscussesmanyissuesthatexperimentalpsychologistshavepaidattentiontoformanyyears.ThebookwasreprintedafterWundt'sdeathandwastranslatedintoEnglishandpublished.

"PrinciplesofPhysiologicalPsychology"(1874)

Thisworkisricherandmorein-depththantheabovetwoworks.ItisWundt’searlytenyearsThesummaryoftheteachingandresearchworkofphysiologicalpsychologyattheUniversityofHeidelbergintheyearisalsoamanifestationofWundt’smaturethoughtsonexperimentalpsychology.Therefore,Paulinbelievesthatitisaveryimportantbookinthehistoryofmodernpsychology.Turningtothemarkofapsychologistisalsotheinitiationofpsychologyasanewindependentscience.Thisbookfirmlyestablishedpsychologyasanexperimentalsciencewithitsownexperimentalsubjectsandexperimentalmethods.Therefore,theworkisconsideredbythepsychologycommunitytobethegreatestworkinthehistoryofscientificpsychologyandthedeclarationofindependenceofscientificpsychology.

"TheOutlineofPsychology"(1896)

Wundtputforwardthetheoryof"thethreedegreesoffeelings"inthebook,whichtriggeredalotofexperimentalresearch.

"LanguageHistoryandLinguisticPsychology"(1901)

ThisbookisasummaryofWundt’searlylinguisticresearchresults,andhealsoproposedtohimselfAsummaryofthepsycholinguistictheory.TherearemanystrikingsimilaritiesbetweenWundt'stheoryoflanguageprocessorspeechmechanismandtheresearchofmodernpsycholinguistics.

"NationalPsychology"(1900-1920)

Thisbookiscomposedoftenvolumes.ItisasocietywhereWundtuseshistoricalmethodstostudyhumanadvancedpsychologicalprocesses.Psychologymonograph.ThissetofmonographswascompletedbyWundtinthelast20yearsofhislifetime.Althoughthetitleofthebookiscalledethnicpsychology,itisactuallyasocialpsychologyaboutlanguage,art,mythology,religion,customs,law,morality,etc.,withitsrichconnotations.Schultzbelievesthatthesignificanceofthebookitselfis"farmoreimportantthanwhatiswritteninthebook,becauseitdividesthenewpsychologyintoexperimentalandsocialparts."

Otherimportantworks

Publishingbooks

Maincontributions

Psychologicalindependence

Althoughpsychologyhasalonghistory,ithasnothadanindependentstatusforalongtimeduetothecomplexityanduncertaintyofitsresearchobjects.Withthedevelopmentofcapitalistindustryandtheadvancementofscienceandtechnology,thecallforindependenceofpsychologyhasbecomehigherandhigher.Herbartdeclaredforthefirsttimethatpsychologyisascience.Butheopposedtheuseofexperimentalmethods.Fechnermadeapsychophysicalmeasurementofpsychologicalphenomenaandgaveexperimentalpsychologyagoodstart,butthepurposeofhisresearchwastodefendhisphilosophicalviews,nottocreatescientificpsychology.HelmholtzandErnstWebermadesignificantcontributionstophysiologyusingexperimentalmethods,buttheylackedacomprehensiveviewofpsychology.Wundtopposesmetaphysicalspeculationinpsychologicalresearch,andemphasizestheuniquenessofpsychologicalresearchobjects.Inhisview,theresearchobjectofpsychologyisdifferentfromphilosophyandnaturalscience.In1879,hepresidedovertheestablishmentoftheworld'sfirstlaboratorydedicatedtopsychologyresearch,andestablishedanewexperimentalpsychologysystemusingexperimentalmethods,therebyofficiallyproclaimingtheestablishmentofpsychology.

Thecreationofexperimentalpsychology

BeforeWundt,psychologydidnotconductsystematicscientificanalysisandexperimentalresearchonpsychologicalphenomena,mainlyrelyingonintuition,inference,andguesswork.AtthesametimeasWundt,evenearlierthanhim,WilliamJames(1875)oftheUnitedStatesalsobuiltapsychologicallaboratoryatHarvardUniversity.Inthesameyear,KarlStumfofGermanypreparedanauditorylaboratory,FechnerHeandHelmholtzhavedonemanyexperimentsonphysiologicalpsychologyandpsychophysics,buttheyallhavelittleinfluenceduetoequipmentandmethods.Butitshouldbesaidthattheyallcontributedtotheestablishmentofthenewpsychology.ButWundtfoundedaprofessionalpsychologylaboratory,usingexperimentalintrospection,reactiontimeandotherresearchmethodstoconductresearchonhumanperception,reactionspeed,attentiondistribution,emotions,andwordassociationanalysis,etc.,andobtainedAlotofimportantachievements.

Cultivatingscholars

BeforeWundt,therewerenoprofessionalpsychologistsandnospecialpsychologyschool.WithWundt'screationofthefirstpsychologylaboratory,heattractedalargenumberofyoungpeoplefromallovertheworldtostudyhere.Ithasbecometheinstitutionandcradleofcultivatingthefirstbatchofprofessionalpsychologistsintheworld.PsychologiststrainedherearealloverEurope,AmericaandAsia.AccordingtothestatisticsoftheAmericanphilosopherSahakien,amongWundt’sstudents,thereare136Germans(includingAustrians),14Americans,13EasternEuropeans,10British,6Polish,andRussian.Thereare3people,2Danesand2French.34ofthembecamewell-knownfiguresinthehistoryofpsychology,suchasHall,Cartel,Angel,Munsterberg,JuddintheUnitedStates,TichennerintheUnitedKingdom,andKlepelin,Kulpe,andMalbiinGermany.,Moyman,Denmark'sLangeandLeman,Russia'sBekhchelev,Japan'sMatsumotoYitaro.Afterreturningtotheirhomecountries,thesepeoplesetuppsychologylaboratoriesintheirhomecountriesandcarriedoutexperimentalpsychologyresearch,whichenabledcountriestoembarkonthepathofpsychologicalresearch.

CharacterEvaluation

In1896,whenanimportantGermannewspapermentionedWundt,hecalledhimthe"PopeofPsychologyinContinentalEurope."

TheAmericanpsychologistandhistorianofpsychologyPaulinstudiedWundt’swritingsandfoundthatWundtisthemostprolificpersoninthehistoryofpsychology:"Ifthereare24,836daysin68years,thenWundtwillstartfrom1853.From1920to1920,Iwroteorrevised2.2pagesofbookseveryday,about1wordevery2minutes,regardlessofdayandnight,forafull68years."

Germanpsychologist,GestaltPsychologyFounderWertheimersaid:"Exceptforwork,Wundtisalmostuninterestedinotherthings.Inhisentireautobiography,hementionedthatthecontentofhiswifeandfamilyonlyoccupiesasmallpart.Heissoinvestedinpsychology,soAsforwhenhewasseriouslyillorevenonthevergeofdeath,hewasstillanalyzinghispsychologicalexperience."

TheGermanbiologistandphilosopherHaeckelsaidinhisbook"TheMysteriesoftheUniverse"publishedin1899.:"OneofthemostimportantpsychologistsincontemporaryGermanyisWilhelmWundtofLeipzig.Hehastheunparalleledadvantagesofotherphilosophers:heisproficientinzoology,anatomyandphysiology.WundtisHelmholOurassistantsandstudentswereusedtoapplyingthebasiclawsofphysicsandchemistrytotheentirefieldofphysiologyintheearlydays,aswellastothepsychologydefinedbyJohannesMuller,whichispartofphysiology."

Wundt’sstudent,founderofstructuralistpsychology,andthefamousAmericanpsychologistTiechennersaidinanarticlecommemoratingWundt’sdeathinNovember1920:“Wundt’sdeathmadeouracademicworldlessAnimportantperson:agreatscientist,awell-knownphilosopher,aprolificauthor,andapersonwithoutstandinginfluence.PsychologyisafieldcloselytiedtohisnamebecauseofhisbirthandlongevityAndfortunately...IfyouwanttosumuptheimportanceofWundt'slife'sworkinonesentence,itisthatheisthefirstpersoninthehistoryofthoughttocriticizescientificandphilosophicalissuesfromapsychologicalperspective.Wundtisabornphilosopher.Eventhoughhispredecessorshadthesametemperament,hedidnothavetheopportunity.Heworkedhardtostepintothedoorofpsychology.AlthoughhehasnotescapedtheinfluenceofthepastphilosophicalsystemandthetoorigidbiologyoftheearlyDarwinera,heAlwaysimproving,thelasteditionof"PrinciplesofPhysiologicalPsychology"ismuchbetterthanthefirstedition.HehasbeenlikenedtoHerbertSpencer;buthehimselfpreferstoberegardedasLeibniz’sContemporaryfollowers.ButIthinkthetwocomparisonsarenotenough:Wundtistheonlyone,anditishardtoseeacomparableoneinthefuture."