Wilhelm Wundt
Dana Hein
Background
- Born August 18, 1832 and died August 31, 1920
- Born in Mannheim, Germany
- Known as the founder of modern psychology
Family
- Son of a Lutheran minister
- Youngest of four children
- Was born into an academic family
School
- Earned medical degree at University of Heidelberg in 1856
- Also attended Universities of Tubigen and Berlin
- Created a laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879
Contributions to Psychology
- Known as the "father" of experimental psychology
- Opened the first psychology lab in 1879
- Separated psychology from philosophy by analyzing the mind in a more structured way
- Concentrated on 3 areas of mental functioning: thoughts, images, and feelings
- Introduced the idea that consciousness could be broken down to its basic elements
Sources
http://www.britannica.com/biography/Wilhelm-Wundt
http://www.simplypsychology.org/wundt.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Wundt
Thinking About Psychology textbook