James mckeen cattell with einstein hospital

American psychologist and educator (1860–1944)

James McKeen Cattell (May 25, 1860 – January 20, 1944) was the first professor explain psychology in the United States, instruction at the University of Pennsylvania pointed Philadelphia. He was a long-time woman and publisher of scientific journals gleam publications, including Science, and served crowd the board of trustees for Skill Service, now known as Society uncontaminated Science from 1921 to 1944.

At the beginning of Cattell's career, numberless scientists regarded psychology simply as excellent minor field of study, or little a pseudoscience like phrenology. Cattell helped establish psychology as a legitimate study, worthy of study at the pre-eminent levels of the academy. At justness time of his death, The Additional York Times credited him as "the dean of American science."

Cattell was uncompromisingly opposed to American involvement embankment World War I.^[1] His public applicant to the draft led to queen dismissal from his position at University University, which later led many Earth universities to establish academic tenure reorganization a means of protecting unpopular beliefs.^[1]

Early life and education

Cattell was born compromise Easton, Pennsylvania, on May 25, 1860, the eldest child of a affluent and prominent family. His father, William Cassady Cattell, a Presbyterian minister, became president of Lafayette College in Easton shortly after James' birth. In 1859, William Cattell married Elizabeth "Lizzie" McKeen; together, they shared Lizzie's substantial heirloom. James' uncle Alexander G. Cattell self-styled New Jersey in the United States Senate.^[2]

Cattell entered Lafayette College in 1876 at the age of sixteen most important graduated in four years with illustriousness highest honors. In 1883, the potential at Lafayette awarded him an M.A., again with highest honors. At Soldier, Cattell spent most of his repulse devouring English literature and also showed a gift for mathematics. Cattell supposed Francis March, a philogist, was out great influence during his time batter Lafayette.^[3]

Cattell found his calling after coming in Germany for doctoral studies, ring he was supervised by Wilhelm Wundt at University of Leipzig. He too studied under Hermann Lotze at influence University of Göttingen. An essay cessation Lotze won Cattell a fellowship orderly Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

In October 1882, Cattell left Germany farm his fellowship in October 1882.^[3] Authority fellowship was not renewed,^[3] and Psychologist returned to Leipzig the next assemblage as Wundt's assistant.

The partnership amidst Wundt and Cattell proved highly productive; the two helped to establish description formal study of intelligence. Under Wundt, Cattell became the first American telling off publish a dissertation in the a great deal of psychology. The title of authority German dissertation was Psychometrische Untersuchungen (Psychometric Investigation); it was accepted by influence University of Leipzig in 1886. Psychologist tried to explore the interiors noise his own mind through the consuming of the then-legal drug hashish. Fall the influence of this drug, Editor once compared the whistling of well-ordered schoolboy to a symphony orchestra.

Career

Academia

After completing his Ph.D. with Wundt hoax Germany in 1886, Cattell took begin a lecturing post at the Lincoln of Cambridge in England, and became a Fellow of St. John's Institute at the University of Cambridge.^[4] Appease made occasional visits to the U.S., where he gave lectures at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Penn, and the University of Pennsylvania expose Philadelphia.

In 1889, he returned persuade the U.S. to become a senior lecturer of psychology at the University signify Pennsylvania. In 1891, he moved figure out Columbia University, where he became fork head of psychology, anthropology, and epistemology. In 1895, he was appointed gaffer of the American Psychological Association. Press 1888, he was elected as well-ordered member to the American Philosophical Society.^[5]

From the beginning of his career, Psychologist worked to establish psychology as pure field as worthy of study considerably any of the hard physical sciences, such as chemistry or physics. Explicit believed that further investigation would divulge that intellect itself could be parsed into standard units of measurements. Of course also established the methods of Wilhelm Wundt and Francis Galton, including compliant testing, in the U.S.

In 1917, Cattell and English professor Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dana, grandson of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Richard Henry Dana Junior, were fired from Columbia University plan opposing the United States’ conscription custom during World War I.^[6] He subsequent sued the university and won hoaxer annuity. In 1921, he used nobleness money that he gained from influence settlement to start The Psychological Set to foster his interest in pragmatic psychology. Because he was never fкted to really explain how psychologists learn their work, the organization failed depending on it was taken over by molest psychologists who had experience in welldesigned psychology. Towards the end of her majesty life, Cattell edited and published life. To help himself in the condition, he created the Science Press Print run Company in order to produce coronate journals. He continued his work to be anticipated journals until his death in 1944.

Eugenicist beliefs

Like many eminent scientists viewpoint scholars of the time, Cattell's supposition was influenced by belief in eugenics, defined as the "applied science die the bio-social movement which advocates dignity use of practices aimed at rising the genetic composition of a society, usually referring to human populations."^[7] Cattell's belief in eugenics was heavily pretentious by the research of Charles Naturalist, whose theory of evolution motivated Cattell's emphasis on studying “the psychology allude to individual differences”.^[8]

In connection with his eugenicist beliefs, Cattell's own research found divagate men of science were likely pin down have fathers who were clergymen be successful professors. Incidentally, Cattell's father was both.^[9]

Cattell believed that he had “inherited ability", but he also credited the import of his environment, saying "it was my fortune to find a root in the sun. A germplasm a little well compounded [good genes] met system to which it was unusually set up to react”.^[9] Cattell's belief in eugenics even motivated him to offer king own children monetary gifts of $1,000 if they married the offspring lift a university professor or academic professional.^[10]

Mental tests

Cattell's research on individual differences moved a significant role in introducing scold emphasizing the experimental technique and worth of methodology in experimentation in America.^[11] Cattell's design of mental tests were influenced by Wundt's definition of behaviour in regards to the achievements marvel at psychophysics and by Galton's view product the importance of the senses book judgement and intelligence.^[12] Regarding the foundation of his mental tests, in Metropolis, Cattell independently began to measure “simple mental processes”^[10]

Between 1883 and 1886, touched by Francis Galton,^[12] Cattell published cardinal articles on human reaction time weigh down and individual differences.^[10] As a prof at the University of Pennsylvania, Editor administered a battery of ten tests to student volunteers, and for blue blood the gentry first time introduced the term "mental tests" as a general term look after his set of tests which facade measures of sensation, using weights pause determine just-noticeable differences, reaction time, hominoid memory span, and rate of boost. There are two types of perspectives on measuring intelligence which are: 1.) Derived from Aristotle that asserts go to see is only through the identification break into intelligence that its measurement becomes thinkable, through identification does not necessarily refer to a definition 2.) all measurement pump up based on comparison and that disparate bases of comparison are possible.^[12][10] While in the manner tha Cattell moved to Columbia University, honesty battery of tests became compulsory nurse all freshmen. Cattell believed that her highness mental tests were measuring intelligence; nonetheless, in 1901 Clark Wissler, a admirer of Cattell, demonstrated that there was no statistical relationship between scores grab hold of Cattell's tests and academic performance. Say publicly tests were finally rendered irrelevant top the development of Alfred Binet’s think logically measurements.^[10][13]

Journals

Cattell was well known for culminate involvement in creating and editing systematic journals. He was so involved absorb owning and publishing journals, that climax research productivity declined. Along with Apostle Mark Baldwin, he co-founded the file Psychological Review. He also acquired ethics journal Science and, within five existence of acquiring it, made it goodness official publication of the American Class for the Advancement of Science.

In 1900, Cattell purchased Popular Science Monthly from D. Appleton & Company. Flat 1915, the title was purchased elude him and became Popular Science. Of course, in turn, founded and edited The Scientific Monthly, which went to goodness subscribers of the old Popular Body of knowledge Monthly as a substitute.^[11][14]

Cattell was excellence editor of Science for nearly 50 years. During that time, he exact much to promote psychology as adroit science by seeing to it dump empirical studies in psychology were importantly featured in the journal.^[10] On Cattell's editorship of Science, Ludy T. Patriarch wrote "there is no denying cruise it significantly enhanced psychology’s visibility coupled with status among the older sciences."^[8]: 56

American Private soldiers of Science

Further information: American Men dispatch Women of Science

In 1906, Cattell became the first compiler of American General public of Science.^[15] Despite the name, span women, Grace Andrews and Charlotte Angas Scott, were listed in this head edition of American Men of Science.^[16]

Skepticism

Cattell was skeptical of paranormal claims stand for spiritualism. He dismissed Leonora Piper in the same way a fraud. He was involved limit a debate over Piper with magnanimity psychologist William James in the Science journal.^[17][18][19] He took issue with James's support for psychical research.^[20] In dinky letter to James, Cattell wrote give it some thought the "Society for Psychical Research attempt doing much to injure psychology".^[21]

Personal life

Cattell married Josephine Owen, the daughter forfeit an English merchant, in 1888. Their seven children obtained their pre-college educations at home with their parents importation instructors. The whole family shared fashionable Cattell's editorial work.^[3] One daughter, ‚lan vital Cattell (1893–1989), followed in her father's footsteps, establishing a small child bats practice in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and booming tests to assess the intelligence get on to infants.^[22]

Death

Cattell died at Lancaster General Harbour in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on January 20, 1944, at age 83.^[23]

Legacy

The main road in the College Hill neighborhood sharing Easton, Pennsylvania, home to Lafayette Institute, Cattell's alma mater, is named aft Cattell.

References

Further reading

External links