Some Origins of Psychology as Science

Mueller, Conrad G.

doi:10.1146/annurev.ps.30.020179.000301

Cited by 33 publications

(14 citation statements)

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“…Both of these 'grand' paradigms have by and large failed, and with the contemporary disintegration of behaviourism as a credible model for studying human behaviour (Estes, 1975; Hilgard, 1980a), we should do well to ask what it is that both mentalistic and behaviouristic psychology lacked. A very plausible suggestion has been Psychology in 1979 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first 132 Joseph P. Forgas put forward by Farr (1980): both these paradigms ignored the essentially social nature of human behaviour.In his review of the available historical evidence, Mueller (1979) showed that Wundt at least was certainly well aware of the importance of the socio-cultural dimension in human behaviour. He believed that higher processes, such as reasoning, beliefs, myths, thought and language, belong to a sphere which is not reducible to intra-individual processes which can be studied in the laboratory (Danzinger, 1979(Danzinger, , 1980.…”

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confidence: 99%

What is social about social cognition?

Forgas¹

1983

British J Social Psychol

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Interest in social cognition is one of the major new developments in social psychology in recent years. This paper argues for a radically expanded view of social cognition as not merely the information-processing analysis of social domains, but as a field genuinely devoted to the study of the relationship between individual cognition and socio-cultural representations. Social cognition as a field of research thus has the unique potential of unifying the hitherto separated individual and social realms in psychology. Four relevant lines of argument are considered: (1) The implications of the currently dominant information-processing metaphor are contrasted with traditional social psychological theories. (2) Next, the historical roots of social cognition research in sociology, psychology and phenomenology are outlined, in support of an expanded conceptualization of the field. (3) The expansion of current research in three specific directions is suggested, to include (a) developmental, (6) affective and motivational, and (c) collective processes in social cognition. (4) The methodological implications of this expanded view of social cognition are discussed. It is concluded that a genuinely social approach to cognition as advocated here is not only congruent with historical formulations, but also offers exciting new opportunities for empirical research in social psychology.Human knowledge is a social product. Not only is formal 'science' a social enterprise (Kuhn, 1962), but the everyday ideas, theories, representations and reasoning which govern mundane events are themselves the outcome of extensive social cognitive processes. Indeed, it is possible to argue that all cognition has social origins (Mead, 1934), and, in turn, social living is based on the consensual cognitive representations of individuals (cf. Thomas, 1928;Weber, 1947). As Titchener noted nearly 60 years ago, 'experimental and social psychology are coordinate and complementary . . . for the collective mental life everywhere points back to the mental capacities of the individuals that make up society . . . and individual consciousness is supported by the mental life of the community' (1921A980, p. 312). Although the interdependence of individual thinking and social reality has thus been well recognized by the classics in both sociology (Durkheim, 1898;Weber, 1947) and in psychology (Wundt, 1905;Lewin, 1951), current research in cognitive social psychology seems to be overwhelmingly individualistic, dominated by the information-processing paradigm (cf. Krauss, 1980;Zajonc, 1980). Yet social cognition as an emerging field in social psychology has the unique promise of bridging the individual and the social realms in the discipline. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the evolution of a cognitive social psychology, by (a) highlighting some of the shortcomings and restrictions embodied in current social cognition research, (6) reviewing the historical roots of interest in social cognition, and (c) proposing three specific areas of expansion which a...

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confidence: 99%

What is social about social cognition?

Forgas¹

1983

British J Social Psychol

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“…Embora se trate de uma obra de dez volumes, a Völkerpsychologie ficou relegada durante muito tempo a um segundo plano nos próprios livros sobre a história da psicologia. Mueller (1979) salienta, por exemplo, que Boring (1929, citado por Muller, 1979, dedicou 700 páginas à obra de Wundt, se limitando a dez linhas ao comentário da Völkerpsychologie, obra que o próprio Wundt definia como "a história natural do homem" (Mueller, 1979, p. 13) e que, segundo ele próprio, "poderia dar a resposta científica ao problema dos processos mentais superiores" (p. 13).…”

Section: O Diálogo Entre Dois Séculos: Discurso Psicológico Consciênunclassified

Subjetividade e Objetividade na Psicologia Contemporânea: Apontamentos Históricos, Epistemológicos e Filosóficos

Fávero

2015

Psicolestud

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Resumo: Retomamos a análise filosófica e metodológica de autores da p rimeira metade do século XX sobre o conhecimento psicológico e estabelecemos um diálogo com aqueles do primeiro decênio do século XXI que, historicamente, epistemológica e filosoficamente, discutem o caminho tomado pela psicologia para se estabelecer como ciência, em consonância com as discussões sobre a história da criação da noção de objetividade científica e sobre os elementos subjetivos dessa construção. Evidenciamos que o foco particular está na definição do método de pesquisa, na consideração da subjetividade e na discussão sobre a consciência. Apontamos um consenso ao longo do tempo: a demanda de uma análise crítica e reflexiva da produção do conhecimento psicológico e a afinidade dessa produção com a prática de pesquisa e a prática profissional. Dial ogando com diferentes autores, concluímos que a análise histórica, epistemológica e filosófica sobre o conhecimento psicológico tem permitido a elaboração de um modo inovador de se conceber a prática da pesquisa e a prática profissional que, ao contrário de negar os viéses culturais e políticos, passou à busca metodológica que permita considerá-los. Palavras-chave: Conhecimento; subjetividade; objetividade.

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“…Each path branched many times and often intersected with other paths. This is the view presented by psychologist Conrad Mueller (1979) in an essay entitled: "Some origins of psychology as science", written to commemorate the centenary of the founding of Wundt's laboratory. Mueller mentions different lines of inquiry which emerged out of different sciences and different levels of inquiry, and all of which have made psychology multiply and diversify from its origins.…”

Section: Diversifying Factors Internal To Psychology: Lines Of Cleavagementioning

confidence: 99%