Edward Bradford Tichenner

Personallife

Earlylife

TischnerwasborninEnglandonJanuary11,1867Anot-so-richfamilyinChichester,Sussex.FatherJohnTichenner,motherAliceFieldHabin,andgrandfatherEdwardTichennerareasuccessfullawyerinChichester.Afterhisfatherdiedyoung,helivedwithhisgrandfather.Hewaseducatedbyatutorwhenhewasyoung,andlaterheenteredachurchschool.In1881,heobtainedascholarshiptostudyatMalévineCollege,andhisgradeswereextremelygoodduringhistimeattheschool.OncetheschoolinvitedthefamousAmericanpoetJamesRussellLowelltopresentawardstothewinningstudents.AsTichennacametothestagetoomanytimestoreceiveawards,Lowelljokinglysaid,"Mr.Tichenna,Idon’twanttoIsawyou."

UniversityofOxford

In1885,TichennaenteredtheUniversityofOxfordtostudyatBrezinosCollege.InthefirstfouryearsofOxfordUniversity,Tichennastudiedclassicalliteratureandphilosophy,duringwhichhewasdeeplyinfluencedbyBritishempiricism,whichlaidthefoundationforhislaterpsychologicalthoughts.InhislastyearinOxford,hestudiedphysiologyunderthefamousphysiologistJohnBurton-Sandersonandwasdeeplyattractedbyit.HealsotranslatedWundt's"PrinciplesofPhysiologicalPsychology"fromGermanintoEnglish.In1890,Tichennagraduatedwithhonors.

UnderWundt

In1890,TiechennercametoLeipzig,studiedphysiologyandpsychologyunderWundt,andbecameWundt’sfirstBritishstudent.WhilestudyinginLeipzig,hefurtheracceptedthisqualitativeanalysismethodofintrospectiveanalysis.ButhedidnotacceptWundt'sviewthatexperimentalmethodscanonlybeusedtostudylow-levelpsychologicalprocesses.In1892,hereceivedhisdoctoratewithathesisonvisualperception.

Career

In1892,afterTichennerreceivedhisdoctorate,hecametoCornellintheUnitedStatesbecausetherewerenopositionsrelatedtopsychologyinBritishuniversities.Universityprofessorofpsychology.NotlongafterarrivingatCornellUniversity,TichennerquicklydevelopedthepsychologylaboratoryestablishedbyFrankAngelintothebestintrospectivepsychologylaboratoryintheUnitedStates.

In1895,Tichenna,whowasonly28yearsold,waspromotedtoprofessor.

Since1896,hehassuccessivelypublishedsomemonographswrittenbyhimself,suchashisfirstpsychologytextbook"TheOutlineofPsychology",andthe4-volumemasterpiece"Experiment"publishedin1891-94."Psychology","PsychologyTextbook"publishedin1909-10,etc.

In1904,theAssociationofExperimentalPsychologistswasfounded.

From1894to1920,TichennerwastheeditoroftheBritishjournalThought.From1895to1920,hewastheassistanteditoroftheAmericanJournalofPsychologyandservedastheeditor-in-chiefofthemagazinefrom1921to1924.

OnAugust3,1927,TichennadiedontheislandofIthacaintheUnitedStates.HetaughtatCornellUniversityintheUnitedStatesthroughouthislife,butheremainedaBritishcitizenuntilhisdeath.

Mainworks

Tichennerwrotealotinhislife,inadditiontomonographsandtranslations,thereare216papersandnotes,176kindsofworkspublishedbyCornellUniversitylaboratories.Hismainworksare:"TheOutlineofPsychology"(1896),"IntroductiontoPsychology"(1898),"ExperimentalPsychology"(4volumes,1901-1905),"ExperimentalPsychologyBasicsofFeelingsandAttention"(1908),"ExperimentalPsychologyBasicsofThinkingProcess"(1909),"PsychologyTextbook"(1909-1910),"BeginnerPsychology"(1915),etc.

AcademicSystem

Tichenna’sstructureofthepsychologicalsystemandcontent,themainpsychologicalresearchobjects,thenatureofpsychology,themind-bodyrelationship,thetasksofpsychology,andtheresearchmethodsofpsychologyWait.

ResearchObjects

Tichennerbelievesthattheobjectsofallscientificresearchareexperience,andsoarephysicsandpsychology.Thereisnoessentialdifferencebetweenthem,theonlydifferenceIt'sjustthatthereisadifferenceintheperceptionofexperience.However,hedisagreedwithWundt'sclassificationofexperienceintodirectexperienceandindirectexperience,andbelievedthatpsychologystudiesdirectexperienceandphysicsstudiesindirectexperience.HeacceptsthatAffinariusdividesexperienceinto"subordinateexperience"and"independentexperience",andbelievesthatpsychologicalresearchdependsontheexperienceoftheexperiencer,whilephysicsresearchdoesnotdependontheexperienceoftheexperiencer.Forexample,bothphysicistsandpsychologistsstudylightandsound,butphysicistsexplorethesephenomenafromphysicalprocesses,whilepsychologistsinvestigatethesephenomenabasedontheexperienceofhumanobservers.they.

Natureofthesubject

Tichennerbelievesthatscienceisdividedintopurescienceandappliedscience,whilepsychologyispurescience.Therefore,headvocatesonlystudyingthepsychologicalprocessorpsychologicalcontent,andopposesthestudyofthemeaningandfunctionofpsychology.Hebelievesthatwhenstudyingpsychology,itisnecessarytostartfromtheperspectiveofpsychology,letthesubjectsobservethementalactivityitself,notthestimulusanditsmeaning.Iftherelationshipbetweenthementalactivityitselfandthestimulusisconfused,astimuluserrorwilloccur.Forexample,inatwo-pointthresholdexperiment,participantscanhavetwoperspectivesandopinions:oneisthepsychologicalperspectiveandperspective,thatis,onlypayingattentiontowhetherthefeelingitselfisoneortwopoints;theotheristhephysicalperspectiveandperspective,Whichmeansthatoneortwopointsofacertainirritantaretouchingtheskin.Theformeristheexperiencetobestudiedinpsychology,whilethelatteristonoticetheobjectandmeaningoftheobservation.Therefore,Tichennaalsoopposesfunctionalism,thinkingthatitisanapplicationofpsychology,apsychologicaltechnique,ratherthanpsychologyitself.

Mind-bodyrelationship

Intermsofthepsychologicalandphysicalrelationship,Tichenner,likeWundt,adherestothemind-bodyparallelismview,andbelievesthattheneuralprocessandthepsychologicalprocessaretwoparallels,Correspondingactivities.Thementalprocessandtheneuralprocesscorrespondcompletelywithoutinterferingwitheachother.Hemetaphoricallysaidthatdewisformedunderconditionswherethetemperatureoftheairisdifferentfromthatoftheground,andideasareformedundertheconditionsofcertainprocessesinthenervoussystem.Themeaningofthismetaphoristhattheneuralprocessisnotthecauseofthementalprocess,buttheconditionofthementalprocess.

DisciplinaryTasks

Tichennerbelievesthatthetaskofpsychologyistoanalyzeandexplaintheconstituentelementsofpsychologicalprocessesandthewaysandlawsoftheirintegration.Therefore,psychologymustfirstanalyzetheconsciousexperienceasthemostbasicelement,andthenseekthelawofthecombinationoftheseelements,andatthesametimeusetheneuralprocesscorrespondingtothepsychologicalprocesstoexplainthispsychologicalprocess.Intermsofthenumberofpsychologicalelements,Wundtadvocatedtwoelements:feelingandemotion,whileTiechennerbelievedthattherewerethreeelements:feeling,imageandemotion.Inhisview,feelingistheconstituentelementofperception,imageistheconstituentelementofideas,andemotionistheconstituentelementofemotions.Intermsoftheattributesofpsychologicalelements,Tiechenneraddedpersistence,clarityandextensibilityinadditiontothetwoattributesWundtadvocated:natureandstrength.Intermsoftheemotionaldimension,TichennerdisagreeswithWundt’sthird-degreefeelings,butbelievesthatthereareonlytwocategoriesoffeelings:pleasantandunpleasant.

Researchmethods

Intermsofpsychologicalresearchmethods,TichennerinheritedWundt’sbasicideasandinsistedonusingexperimentalintrospection.ButcomparedwithWundt’sexperimentalobservations,therearedifferences:oneisthathenotonlyusesexperimentalintrospectiontostudysimplementalprocesses,suchasperception,consciousness,etc.,butalsotostudyadvancedmentalprocesses,suchasthinking,imagination,etc.;Wundt’sobservationisrelativelyeasy,thetimeforattentionisshort,andthereportingtimeisnotlong.Itisnotmuchdifferentfromdailylifeandphysiologicalobservations,whileTichennarequiresstricterrequirementsandhasmanyrestrictions,suchasinsistingontheperspectiveofpsychologicalresearchandemphasizingStrictlycontroltheexperimentalconditions,requiretheexperimenterstoundergospecialtraining,advocatethedevelopmentofanintrospectivelanguageandvocabulary,anddoagoodjobinthepreparatoryexperimentbeforetheformalexperiment.

MainContributions

PsychologySchool

Tichennafoundedtheworld’sfirstschoolofpsychology—theConstructivistSchool,whichpromotedtheindependenceofscientificpsychologyAnddevelopmentalsomadeCornellUniversitythecenterofstructuralpsychologyatthattime.AsE.Heidbredsaid:"Thisisasimplefact.ItisthepsychologytaughtbyTiechenner.ItisreallythiskindofGermanlaboratory-centeredenterprisethatmakespsychologyrecognizedforthefirsttime.Asascience".

Testmethod

ThetectonicsschoolrepresentedbyTichennaattachesgreatimportancetotheexperimentalintrospectionmethod,especiallyinthelaboratoryunderstrictcontrolofconditions,andpre-existingTheparticipantsaretrained,sotheyhaveachievedalotofresults.Theseresearchresultshavebeenabsorbedintocontemporarypsychology,especiallysensorypsychology.Tichenna's"ExperimentalPsychology"givesadetaileddescriptionoftheinstruments,proceduresandmethodsofprocessingexperimentalresultsofpsychologicalexperiments.Thebookhasbeenwidelyusedasamanualforexperimentalpsychology.

ProfessionalTeam

DuringhisworkatCornellfrom1892to1927,Tichennertrained54PhDsinpsychologythroughtheguidanceofstudentresearchwork.Manyofthemhavebecomewell-knownpersonalitiesinthehistoryofAmericanpsychology,suchasMargaretFloydWorsborn,MadisonBentley,WaterBowlesPillsbury,CarlDarrenbachandsoon.

Disciplinarydevelopment

Tichennanotonlymadepositivecontributionstopsychology,butalsoinspiredfunctionalism,behaviorismandGestaltismfromtheside.ItisinthissensethatSchultzbelievesthatagreatcontributionofconstructivismisthatitservesasatargetforcriticism.Thenewschoolisbasedontheorthodoxsystemprovidedbyconstructivism,surpassingtheoriginalboundariesandadvancing.

Anecdotes

AuthorityStyle

TherearemanysayingsaboutTichenna'sauthoritystyle.ItissaidthatonceherefusedtheinvitationofthechairmanofCornellUniversitytoaskhimtoattendabanquetbecausethechairmandidnotpersonallyinvitehim.Mr.Chairmanprotestedthattherewasreallynotime,andTichennasaidthatyoucansendyourdrivertosendmetheinvitationletter.SoMr.ChairmansentacoachmantosendtheinvitationlettertoTichenna,andthenTichennawenttothebanquet.

Tichenna'sstyleisalsoreflectedinhisrelationshipwiththeAmericanPsychologicalAssociation.TichennaisoneofthefoundersoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,buthasneverparticipatedinameetingoftheAssociation.HeevenfoundedanotherSocietyofExperimentalPsychologists(Experimentalists),themembersofwhichwereselectedbyTichennahimself.Hedidthisfortworeasons:onewasthattheAmericanPsychologicalAssociationdidnotexpeloneofitsmembersasherequested-Tichennabelievedthatthispersonhadacademicplagiarism;theotherwasthathebelievedthattheAmericanPsychologicalAssociationwastoofriendlytosomepsychologicalapplications.,Deviatedfromwhathethoughtofaspurelyexperimentalpsychology.

Tichenna’sstudentsareinaweofhim,whichmayalsoreflectTichenna’scharacterfromoneaspect.E.R.HilgardrecordedananecdotebetweenTichennaandPaulin:WhenPaulinwasastudentofTichenna,hewasonceinvitedbyTichennatohisbirthdayparty.Thisisagreathonorforastudent.Soafterthebanquet,Tichennaaskedeveryonetosmokecigars,butPaulinecouldn'tsmoke,buthedidn'tdarenotsmoke,sohequicklyleftthetableandvomited.TheneveryyearTichennainvitesPaulin,andPaulinwillbethere,thensmoke,andthentheinevitablevomiting.

Ms.Don’tEnter

WhentheAmericanPsychologicalAssociationwasfounded,itallowedfemalepsychologiststobecomemembersoftheAssociation,butTichenna’sAssociationofExperimentalPsychologistsconsideredwomenPsychologistsareexcluded.AcommonexplanationforthisruleisthatTichennawantsto"makeanoralreportinasmoke-filledroom,whichcanbeinterrupted,rebutted,orcriticizedatanytime.Thereisnoladypresent,becausetheladylovescleaningtoomuch.Suitabletobepresent".SeveralfemalestudentsatBrynMawrCollegeinPennsylvaniawantedtoattendthemeetingandwereeventuallyaskedtoleave.Once,theyhidunderatableintheconferenceroomtoeavesdrop.Pauline’sfiancéeLucyMayandanotherladyhidinthenearbyofficeandopenedthedooroftheconferenceroomtoeavesdroponthemen’sWhatdidthemeetingtalkabout?

AlthoughTichenna'sreasonssoundedtobeforthesakeofladies,itstillmadesomeladiesveryunhappy.FemalepsychologistChristineRad-Franklinisoneofthem.InalettershewrotetoTichenna,sheexpressedherextremedissatisfactionwithTichenna'spractice.ShewrotetoTichennaandaskedtoreadapapershewroteathismeeting.Afterbeingrejected,shewrotebackandsaid:"InthisageIamshockedbyyourpracticeofexcludingwomen.ThisisAnextremelyconservativeapproach.”Despitebeingcriticizedbyfemalephilosophers,thisprovisionwasnotcancelleduntiltheassociationwasreorganizedtwoyearsafterTichenna’sdeath.

AlthoughTichennadoesnotallowwomentoparticipateinthemeetingsofhisAssociationofExperimentalPsychologists,infactTichennadoesnotholdanyprejudiceagainstwomen.TakeTichenna'sstudentsasanexample.Amongthe56PhDshetrained,morethanone-thirdarewomen.MargaretFloydWorsborn,thefirstfemaledoctorofpsychologyinhistory,wasastudentofTichenna.Healsohiredwomenasstaff.Once,despitetheoppositionofthedeanofthecollege,heinsistedonappointingawomanasaprofessor.

CharacterEvaluation

AfterTiechenner’sdeathin1927,thefamouspsychologistHowardWarrenpublishedanarticleinSciencemagazinetocommentonTiechenner:“HeisanAmericanpsychologist.Oneofthemostprominentfiguresinacademia...aleaderwhoanalyzesordeconstructspsychology...hehasabroadvisionandstrictlylimitstheresearchfieldsofhislaboratory."

ThepsychologicalhistorianEGPollinsaidinhiscommemorativearticletoTichenna:"Tichenna,theleaderofAmericanexperimentalpsychology...Behaviorismcanonlybeopposedtootheraspects.Theoppositionisclearlyvisiblebetweenbehaviorismandhim,betweenpsychologicaltestingandhim,andbetweenappliedpsychologyandhim.HisdeathcausedstructuralchaosintheAmericanpsychologycommunity."