History Of Psychology

A History of Psychology, Intelligence, and Intellectual Disability Revisited

by Christian Ydesen

Review of
A History of Intelligence and ”Intellectual Disability” – The Shaping of Psychology in Early Modern Europa

By C.F. Goodey. Farnham:Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2011. 392 pp.,  ISBN: 978-1-4094-2021-7 (hardcover). Price: £35.00.

The international space of the Danish testing community in the interwar years

by Christian Ydesen

Tajfel and laboratory experimentation

by Susan Condor

It is the relationship between method and critical meta-theory that represents the topic of this chapter. More... more It is the relationship between method and critical meta-theory that represents the topic of this chapter. More particularly, I shall be exploring the fate of the “sociopsychological” approach to laboratory experimentation originally advocated by Tajfel in The Context of Social Psychology. In his chapter (“Experiments in a vacuum”) Tajfel presented a bold manifesto. Rather than blaming laboratory experimentation for the reductionist and reifying tendencies of mainstream social psychology, we should instead consider the affordances of laboratory research for studying “sociopsychological” processes. I shall then go on to consider the eventual fate of this idea, assessing its actual impact on subsequent research practice, and questioning whether the continued reliance on laboratory experimentation did, in fact, end up supporting Tajfel’s metatheoretical project.

Carlos Monterrosa: Precursor de la psicología científica y aplicada en El Salvador [Carlos Monterrosa: Pioneer of scientific and applied psychology in El Salvador]

by Nelson Portillo

Published in Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, 2008, 40, 599-605.

Este trabajo describe la vida y obra de Carlos Monterrosa, precursor de la psicología científica y aplicada en El... more Este trabajo describe la vida y obra de Carlos Monterrosa, precursor de la psicología científica y aplicada en El Salvador. Particularmente, busca divulgar la información ya publicada, así como una serie nuevos hallazgos con el fin de reconocer su papel dentro la historia de la psicología salvadoreña. Las primeras tres partes de este trabajo revisan tres períodos de la vida de Monterrosa y la cuarta discute el valor y la relevancia de su trabajo en El Salvador y en relación a otros psicólogos latinoamericanos. Su labor al frente del Gabinete Psicopedagógico, fundado en la década de 1930, es también revisada. Este trabajo contribuirá a ampliar el conocimiento historiográfico sobre la psicología en El Salvador y a posicionar a uno de sus precursores junto a otros pioneros de la psicología en Latinoamérica.
Palabras clave: Carlos Monterrosa, Psicología, El Salvador, Gabinete Psicopedagógico.

This article describes the life and work of Carlos Monterrosa, the founder of scientific and applied psychology in El Salvador. It particularly seeks to disseminate previously published information as well as a series of new findings with the objective of recognizing his role in the history of Salvadoran psychology. The first three parts of this article correspond to three different periods of Monterrosa’s life, while the fourth addresses the value and the significance of his work in El Salvador and in relation to other Latin American psychologists. His work at the National Psychopedagogic Laboratory, founded in the 1930s, is also reviewed. This article will contribute to broaden the historiographic knowledge about psychology in El Salvador and help place one of its precursors next to other Latin American psychology pioneers.
Key words: Carlos Monterrosa, Psychology, El Salvador, Psychopedagogic Laboratory.

Antecedentes, desarrollo y aplicaciones tempranas de la psicología en El Salvador (1850-1950) [Origins, development and early applications of psychology in El Salvador (1850-1950)]

by Nelson Portillo

Published in Revista de Historia de la Psicología (University of Valencia, Spain), 2006, 27, 7-68.

El objetivo de este trabajo es revisar los orígenes, el desarrollo y las aplicaciones tempranas de la psicología en El... more El objetivo de este trabajo es revisar los orígenes, el desarrollo y las aplicaciones tempranas de la psicología en El Salvador, desde 1850 hasta 1950. Esta investigación pone al descubierto el dinamismo y la relevancia que la psicología y su saber tuvieron en la sociedad salvadoreña antes de 1956, año en el que se funda oficialmente el primer programa de psicología. En particular, se señala que los ámbitos en los que el saber psicológico emergió y evolucionó en El Salvador, fueron el filosófico, el educativo y el médico. Además de tratar los eventos y los personajes más significativos que impactaron el desarrollo de la psicología, este trabajo sugiere que el estado de la psicología en El Salvador, en el período revisado, estaba a la altura de los avances alcanzados en otros países latinoamericanos, sobre todo, en las áreas de la educación y la psicotécnica.
Palabras claves: El Salvador, Psicología, Psiquiatría, Educación, Psicopedagogía, inteligencia.

This article reviews the origins, development and early applications of psychology in El Salvador, from 1850 to 1950. It shows the dynamism and relevance that psychology and its knowledge had in the Salvadoran society before 1956, the year in which the first official psychology program was founded. It particularly points out that psychological knowledge emerged and evolved within the areas of philosophy, education, and medicine. Besides addressing the events and the pioneers that had an impact on the development of psychology, this article suggests that the state of psychology in El Salvador, during the examined period, was very similar to that achieved in other Latin American countries, especially in the areas of education and psychotechnic.
Key words: El Salvador, Psychology, Psychiatry, Education, Psychopedagogy, Intelligence.

Ocho décadas de contribuciones a la psicología en El Salvador: una aproximación bibliométrica desde PsycINFO y PSICODOC (1930-2009) [Eight decades of contributions to psychology in El Salvador: A bibliometric review from PsycINFO and PSICODOC (1930-2009)]

by Nelson Portillo

Published in Revista Salvadoreña de Psicología

Este artículo revisa, desde una perspectiva bibliométrica, las contribuciones científicas y académicas hechas a la... more Este artículo revisa, desde una perspectiva bibliométrica, las contribuciones científicas y académicas hechas a la psicología en El Salvador por profesionales nacionales y extranjeros a lo largo de ocho décadas (1930-2009), de acuerdo a las bases electrónicas de datos PsycINFO y PSICODOC. En total, 363 trabajos fueron identificados y examinados en función de la década en que aparecieron publicados, su lugar de origen y publicación, lengua, formato de transmisión, número de firmas y tipos de colaboración entre autores. También se establecen las ramas de la psicología que han hecho su aporte y los temas más trabajados. Una comparación simultánea de las tendencias encontradas en PsycINFO es hecha con las entradas vinculadas a El Salvador, recogidas en PSICODOC. En general, los resultados señalan que la mayor parte de los trabajos ha sido publicada fuera de El Salvador, sobre todo en inglés, por investigadores(as) ocasionales de origen extranjero. Un apéndice con los identificadores únicos de los estudios revisados es incluido también en este artículo.

This article reviews, from a bibliometric perspective, the scientific and academic contributions to psychology in El Salvador made by national and foreign professionals in a period of eight decades (1930-2009), based on the electronic databases PsycINFO and PSICODOC. In total, 363 entries were
identified and examined based on the decade in which they appeared, their place of origin and publication, language, transmission format, number of author signatures and ways of collaboration among authors. In addition, the areas of psychology that have made their contribution are established as well as the most researched topics. A simultaneous comparison of the trends found in PsycINFO is done with the entries linked to El Salvador, recorded in PSICODOC. In general, findings showed that most studies have been
published outside El Salvador, mainly in English, by occasional researchers of foreign origin. An appendix with the unique identifiers of the studies reviewed is included in this article as well.

Rediscovering the embodied self

by Simon Boag

Boag, S. (2008). Re-discovering the embodied self [Review of the book Passions and tempers: A history of the humours]. PsycCRITIQUES-Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 53 (8).

How far have we come since the Age of Enlightenment?

by Simon Boag

Boag, S. (2008). How far have we come since the Age of Enlightenment? [Review of the book Brain, mind and medicine: Essays in Eighteenth-century neuroscience]. PsycCRITIQUES-Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 53 (26).

A brief history of personality and individual differences research in Australia

by Simon Boag

Boag, S. (2008). A brief history of personality and individual differences research in Australia. In S. Boag (Ed.), Personality Down Under: Perspectives from Australia (pp. 7-20). New York: Nova.

While there are various accounts describing the development of Australian psychology generally there exists at present... more While there are various accounts describing the development of Australian psychology generally there exists at present no account of the development of personality and individual differences research within Australia specifically. This paper provides an overview of the development of personality and individual differences research within Australia through examining the research interests of the pioneers of Australian psychology. This reveals that Australian psychology from the beginning was, both in theory and practice, chiefly a psychology of personality and individual differences. This chapter highlights key theoretical directions in Australian personality research, as well as noting practical applications of personality and individual differences research to clinical psychology, education and industry. The early contributions from the pioneers of Australian psychology to this field are highlighted, and their impact on later developments within personality and individual differences research discussed.

History of Psychology: 03-1; Psychology in the Renaissance Ages and before 17 C. / (text in Korean)

by Jung-Mo Lee

Lecture Notes File; 717 K: text in Korean,

: History of Psychology # 03-1:  Psychology in the Renaissance Ages and before 17 C.

: History of Psychology # 03-1:  Psychology in the Renaissance Ages and before 17 C.

History of Psychology: Psychology in the Roman and the Medieval times/ (text in Korean)

by Jung-Mo Lee

Lecture Notes File:  658 K ; Text in Korean

History of Psychology/ (text in Korean)/by Jung-Mo Lee (2012) # 2-2:  Psychology in the Roman and the Medieval... History of Psychology/ (text in Korean)/by Jung-Mo Lee (2012) # 2-2:  Psychology in the Roman and the Medieval times

History of Psychology 02-1: Psychology in the ancient Greece :/ (text in Korean)/

by Jung-Mo Lee

Lecture Notes File:  682 K pdf

History of Psychology: # 2-1: / (text in Korean)/ by Jung-Mo Lee (2012)  Psychology in the ancient Greece:... more History of Psychology: # 2-1: / (text in Korean)/ by Jung-Mo Lee (2012)  Psychology in the ancient Greece: Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle & +

La Théorie du réflexe comme enjeu philosophique

by Vincent Guillin

MA Thesis, Philosophy and History of Science, Université Paris 1, 1998 (supervisor: J.-F. Braunstein)

On Erich Fromm: why he left the Frankfurt school

by Caroline Kamau

Kamau, C. (2012).

Chapter synopsis: 'On Erich Fromm: Why he left the Frankfurt School':

-Biography: Erich Fromm
-Erich... more Chapter synopsis: 'On Erich Fromm: Why he left the Frankfurt School':

-Biography: Erich Fromm
-Erich Fromm was very critical of Freudian psychoanalysis. The Frankfurt School disapproved of that.
-Tension arose between Fromm and Horkheimer/Adorno/Marcuse and other pro-Freudian contemporaries
-Erich Fromm had reservations about the Frankfurt School's desire to merge psychoanalysis with Marxist theory
-Controversy arose over the Frankfurt School's decision not to publish a manuscript that Fromm wrote, with Weiss. This was a report of their landmark authoritarian personality study of 1931. The topic and methodology shaped the Frankfurt School's later research into authoritarianism (e.g. Adorno et al.'s famous studies).

This chapter also discusses Erich Fromm's work post-Frankfurt School:
--Fromm on social neurosis
--Fromm on thoughts as a form of self-presentation or impression management
--Fromm's theoretical focus on self identity, rather than instincts
--Fromm's theory about personality traits
--Fromm on empiricism and psychology versus psychoanalysis

La teoría socio-cultural de Vygotsky: algunas acotaciones a su origen y su alcance

by Adolfo Perinat

2007. Revista de Historia de la Psicología, 28(2), 19-25.

La teoría histórico-cultural pasa por ser una de las piezas más relevantes del pensamiento de Vygotsky. En esta... more La teoría histórico-cultural pasa por ser una de las piezas más relevantes del pensamiento de Vygotsky. En esta comunicación se exponen algunos aspectos de la misma que no han sido tomados habitualmente en consideración por los divulgadores de la obra de Vygotsky. Trataremos, en primer lugar de sus antecedentes en la tradición cultural-psicológica de Rusia y de las influencias filosóficas de Marx y Engels en su concepción. En su exposición, Vygotsky señala dos jalones: el uso de herramientas en chimpancés y la existencia de funciones psicológicas rudimentarias en los pueblos primitivos. Sin más, da por coronado el proceso de evolución psicológica de los humanos. Su teoría tiene, sin embargo, dos caras: una la pretende demostrar que la psique humana se ha constituido en un proceso que tiene su historia. La otra es la que, a partir de los pasos que ha seguido la humanidad hasta hacerse con ciertos artificios culturales (que Vygostky asimila a “herramientas”), los traduce en pautas pedagógicas aplicables a los niños en su formación escolar. Todos estos aspectos merecen una revisión crítica que ponga en relieve las limitaciones de la teoría histórico-cultural siendo una de las principales que es inasequible a un tratamiento científico y que, por tanto, se queda en una proposición grandiosa (una “gran narrativa”) pero de escasa consistencia.

Was he queer...or just Irish? Reading the life of Harry Stack Sullivan

by Peter Hegarty

Keywords: Harry Stack Sullivan.  Biogrpahy.  History of Psychology.  Gender. Sexulaity.  Irish-American studies.  Intersectional theory.

This paper examines Helen Swick Perry's (1982) biography of the psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan.  Sullivan's... more This paper examines Helen Swick Perry's (1982) biography of the psychiatrist Harry Stack Sullivan.  Sullivan's life and works are briefly reviewed.  In contrast to other gay-affirmative writing on Sullivan, my reading attends to Perry's ciations of Irish-American identity and Catholic upbringing in the presentation of both Sullivan and his aunt Margaret Stack as lonely, loveless, Irish heterosexuals, a preseatnation which obscures these gay and lesbian lives.  I conclude with an anti-essentialist argument drawn from Sullivan's own writings to avoid essentialist readings of the relationship between his life's events and the meaning of his works. 

Matthew J. Sigal & Michael Pettit, "Information Overload, Professionalization, and the Origins of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association"

by Michael Pettit

This paper examines the origins of psychology’s adoption of a standardized style and format for its publications and... more This paper examines the origins of psychology’s adoption of a standardized style and format for its publications and the controversies that this decision engendered. The present account draws on perspectives derived from the history of reading and the sociology of professions to explain the historical appeal of such standards. Archival documents are used to trace the events that led to the drafting of the first set of publication standards in 1929. Where previous historical account of the publication manual have stressed the influence of behaviorism, the discipline’s leaders embraced these instructions due to the perception of information overload resulting from the rapid expansion and professionalization of psychology following World War I. Under the auspices of the National Research Council, a committee on publication practices surveyed scientists, editors, and publishers in the hopes of making more efficient the communication of psychological knowledge within an increasingly large and anonymous discipline. Archival documents also reveal an animated debate over whether the progress of psychology as a science required the adoption of universally followed rules trusted by all or the cultivation of the scientist’s creativity and individuality of expression.

Histories of social psychology in its own textbooks (Les histoires de la psychologie sociale dans ses manuels)

by Nikos Kalampalikis

Pétard, J.-P., Kalampalikis, N. & Delouvée, S. (2001). Les histoires de la psychologie sociale dans ses manuels, Cahiers Internationaux de Psychologie Sociale, 52, 59-80.

Historical spaces of social psychology

by Nikos Kalampalikis

Kalampalikis, N., Delouvée, S., Pétard, J.-P. (2006). Historical spaces of social psychology, History of the Human Sciences, 19(2), 23-43.

An extensive analysis of all social psychology textbooks published, in french, between 1947 and 2001, including a... more An extensive analysis of all social psychology textbooks published, in french, between 1947 and 2001, including a history chapter, provides a rich corpus for the study of the history of social psychology. In this article we choose to study the historical spaces of social psychology, in order to show how the discipline was located in geographical, urban, institutional and collective spaces. We argue that, into this specific corpus, spaces are essentially related to some solitary and consensual scholars names without any informative reference to their institutions, nor to any trace of collective work. Moreover, we try to highlight several styles, ways and norms of collective writing the history of this discipline.

There is nothing so practical as a good... history: Kurt Lewin's place in the historical chapters of French language Social Psychology Textbooks

by Nikos Kalampalikis

Delouvée, S., Kalampalikis, N., & Pétard, J.-P. (2011). There is nothing so practical as a good… history. Kurt Lewin’s Place in the Historical Chapters of French-language Social Psychology Textbooks. Estudios de Psicología, 32(2), 243-255.

This article examines the paradoxical place occupied by Kurt Lewin in the history of social psychology. By analysing... more This article examines the paradoxical place occupied by Kurt Lewin in the history of social psychology. By analysing an exhaustive corpus of all French-language social psychology textbooks published between 1946 and 2000, we attempt to bring to light both the frequency of references to the author and the rhetoric employed to present his scientific contribution. Our results reveal a paradox underlying the way in which this eminent social psychologist is referred to. While the importance of his role in the formation of this discipline is emphatically reinforced, the full extent of his relevance is not accounted for. This paradox thus takes the form of a marginalisation, which is manifested in a tendency to concentrate on only a portion of his publications, in the stereotyped presentation of his experiments, and in the insufficient context provided for his studies.