What ever happened to Karl Bühler?

Karl Bühler is relatively unknown in English-speaking countries, mainly because most works have not been translated into English. Bühler's work on imageless thought sparked off the famous controversy over the methods of the Würzburg School. Among his most important contributions were the application of Gestalt to the study of perception, the proposal to integrate behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, and psychoanalysis, and the theoretical basis for the Linguistic Circle of Prague. As psychology became more interested in language and thought, Bühler's influence grew. His reputation will spread in the US and UK as more of his works are translated into English. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mary Henle (1913-2007).

An uncompromising advocate of academic rigor, and the last surviving second-generation Gestalt theorist, Mary Henle maintained the highest academic standards during a long career that was an inspiration to many of her colleagues. Her frequently cited publications are models of clear thinking and clear writing. She served as president of the Eastern Psychological Association (1981-1982) and of Divisions 24 (Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology, 1974-1975) and 26 (History of Psychology, 1971-1972) of the American Psychological Association (APA). She also served on such boards and committees as the APA Insurance Trust and made many presentations of carefully crafted papers at psychology conventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"'White culture, Jewish culture, and the origins of psychotherapy': Comment": Reply.

Responds to Mintz's comments (see record 2009-17459-001) on the author's original article (see record 1997-07117-012) on the subject of white and Jewish culture in psychotherapy origins. Langman acknowledges the importance of historical accuracy and in response to Mintz's comments, states that both fields, Gestalt psychology and Gestalt therapy, were Jewish contributions. He then briefly discusses Erik Erikson's Jewish background. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gestalt perspectives on cognitive science and on experimental psychology.

At the 1st author's request, the 2nd author was interviewed on Gestalt psychology's origins and utility for modern experimental psychology. Wertheimer's connections with Gestalt psychologists Max Wertheimer and Wolfgang K?hler and his study of Gestalt problems and methods, give him a special perspective on these issues. Several points for modern psychology emerge from the Gestalt perspective. Phenomena should be studied within their full context; there is a need to acknowledge the domain specificity of principles in experimental psychology; it is wise to study phenomena that either exist in the real world or have close real-world analogues; psychology must recognize interchanges between organisms and surroundings as determinants of behavior; and a data-driven perspective must complement, and sometimes replace, theory driven searches for broadly applicable, nondomain-specific principles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The course in the history of psychology: Present status and future concerns.

The present study provides a turn-of-the-century status report on the teaching of the history of psychology in colleges and universities in the US. The data indicate that the course is offered regularly-in most departments of psychology and is frequently required of majors; these findings are consistent with earlier research. Most instructors teach the course largely out of personal interest and self-taught expertise with their primary teaching and research commitments to other areas of psychology. Few instructors engage in publication of research and scholarship in the history of psychology, although there are 2 journals in the field that provide an outlet for scholarship. The few positions that allow for primary commitment to teaching and research in the history of psychology is a possible cause of concern for the future of the course and for its place in the education of psychologists in the 21st century. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrating culture and attachment.

Comments on the article by F. Rothbaum et al (see record 2000-02781-001), which highlighted evidence of cultural variations in, and noted ways in which attachment theory is laden with Western values and meaning in comparisons of the US and Japan. According to the present author, culture must be defined before considering attachment in cultural contexts, and the Rothbaum et al article compared the Western middle class with the whole Japanese population, with all of its various social groups. Such a cavalier attitude on the part of Rothbaum et al shows a naive enthusiasm for cultural varieties and specifics that, without being balanced with generality, kills theorization. Lack of a proper definition in context combined with naive enthusiasm is reason, according to the present author, for theoretical disaster. Following discussion of the particular disasters of the Rothbaum et al article, the present author proposes a more proper direction for intercultural psychology to take. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The place of facts in a world of values: Subject and object in a postmodern world": Errata.

Reports an error in the original article by R. J. Smith (Journal of Philosophical and Theoretical Psychology, 2001[Fall], 21[2], 153-172). On pages 160, 161, 166, and 167 the subject to object relationship was reported at "S/O". The corrected representation is "S?O". (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2002-10964-004.) The value-fact or subject-object split (S-O) recently defended by H. H. Kendler (1999) as necessary for a scientific psychology to establish facts, was rejected by Gestalt psychology as reducing the person to object status. The Gestalt solution correlating principles of perceptual organization with corresponding features of the object world (S/O) has however answered poorly to the vast cultural differences found in values. Communal/dialectical psychology in agreement with a postmodern worldview, treats facts as intrinsically value-laden social constructions mediated by a society's particular social relations (S?O) Examples of fact ambiguity are illustrated, and S?O is recommended as ontologically preferable for psychology as social science and for turn-of-the-millenium psycho-ecology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gestalt psychology.

Elaborates on F. S. Freeman's (1977) correction of F. McKinney's (see record 1977-28569-001) account of the introduction of Gestalt psychology to America. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brandt misunderstands: A reply.

Argues that L. W. Brandt's (see record 1975-24400-001) article which viewed psychology as consisting of 2 parts: psychologyA (the behavioral psychologies) and psychologyE (Gestalt, Freudian, and Piagetian psychologies), is based on misconceptions about behavioral psychology. Examples from behavior therapy are used to clarify what are perceived as the real issues in Brandt's criticisms. (French abstract) (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The specific effects of a Gestalt intervention.

Reports 3 cases in which the effects on client depth of experiencing and voice quality of the Gestalt "2-chair" operation were investigated. In a design using the clients as their own controls, the effects on each client of 3 Gestalt operations, applied under experimental control to client statements of conflict, were compared with the effects of 3 active-empathy operations at similar points. Results confirm that following the Gestalt operation the depth of experiencing was significantly higher for each of the 3 clients selected as good prognosis clients for client-centered therapy. Two Ss used significantly more emotionally expressive voice after the Gestalt operation. The implications of the change in depth of experiencing on shifts in awareness and on the client's ability to cope with and resolve conflict are discussed. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Solomon E. Asch (1907–1996): Obituary.

Memorializes Solomon E. Asch, the Gestalt psychologist who left his imprint on midcentury academic psychology by combining the fundamental tenets of Gestalt psychology with his own belief in the basic rationality and decency of the social human being. Central to Asch's approach was the idea that social perception, like "ordinary" perception, is relational. This is illustrated most clearly in his classic studies on impression formation, and perhaps his most celebrated work, his studies of persuasion and social pressure. Most of his other work, also within the Gestalt tradition, concerned association, framing effects, thinking, memory, and metaphor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The place of facts in a world of values: Subject and object in a postmodern world.

The value-fact or subject-object split (S-0) recently defended by H. H. Kendler (1999) as necessary for a scientific psychology to establish facts, was rejected by Gestalt psychology as reducing the person to object status. The Gestalt solution correlating principles of perceptual organization with corresponding features of the object world (S/0) has however answered poorly to the vast cultural differences found in values. Communal/dialectical psychology in agreement with a postmodern worldview, treats facts as intrinsically value-laden social constructions mediated by a society's particular social relations (S?0). Examples of fact ambiguity are illustrated, and S?0 is recommended as ontologically preferable for psychology as social science and for turn-of-the-millenium psycho-ecology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reductionism and dialectical materialism.

Psychological explanations of how behavior is acquired are compared between the US and pre- and post-Soviet. The comparison is drawn in terms of communist theories of 1-way and 2-way dialectical materialism. Evidence is brought to bear that physiological, necessary and sufficient interpretations (i.e., 1-way), not only still exist in the former Soviet, but--for reasons other than communist theory--are on the upswing in the US. An advantage of America's more open society is that investigators are encouraged to challenge existing theories. An experimental example is described in which conditioning influences underlying neurology, thereby demonstrating that the relation is not just unidirectional. While such findings are important, they do not diminish the need for psychology to maintain its own enterprise. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In defense of freedom.

Comments on B. Schwartz's (see record 2000-13324-008) discussion of excessive personal freedom, autonomy, self-determination, and life satisfaction and meaning. A positive psychology, according to Schwartz, must constrain "tyranny of choice" (p. 81), and psychologists should "deemphasize freedom" because "American society has created an excess of freedom" (p. 79). R. Solomon suggests that a positive psychology for the 21st century must enhance and facilitate the creation of freedom, not undo it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychology of thinking before the cognitive revolution: Otto Selz on problems, schemas, and creativity.

Otto Selz has been hailed as one of the most important precursors of the cognitive revolution, yet surprisingly few studies of his work exist. He is often mentioned in the context of the Würzburg School of the psychology of thinking and sometimes in the context of Gestalt psychology. In this paper, it is argued that Selz’s emphasis on the role of problems and schemas in the direction of thought processes and creativity sets him apart from the program of the Würzburg School. On the other hand, by developing a theory of thinking that is exclusively at the intentional level, Selz also differs from psychologists that take physics as a model for psychology, such as the Gestalt psychology of Wolfgang K?hler. Special emphasis is given in this paper to Selz’s use of the concept of problem or task and the concept of the schema. It is further argued that the concept of the schema is the result of Selz’s adaptation of the theory of relations as developed by the philosopher Meinong. The paper begins with a sketch of Selz’s life that ended so tragically. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian feminism and psychology: The first decade.

The history of the Canadian Psychological Association's recognition of the validity of a feminist perspective in psychology is outlined, and the current status of women psychologists in the nation is discussed. Documenting the development of a "psychology of women" speciality, a selected review is presented of the research conducted by psychologists in Canada dealing with sex roles, sex differences, achievement, feminism, and psychobiology. In the applied areas of the discipline, analogous developments have occurred in terms of the establishment of a link between sex roles and psychopathology, the critical appraisal of traditional therapies, the creation of alternative therapy approaches, and the generation of ethical standards pertinent to the provision of psychological services to women. The interdisciplinary quality of the psychology of women is discussed and an overview of this new field is provided. (French abstract) (4 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rudolf Arnheim's contribution to Gestalt psychology.

Gestalt psychology was the foundation of Rudolf Arnheim's approach to art. Reviewing Arnheim's long and productive career, it becomes useful to assess his relationship to the evolving theory. By paying special attention to the issues of (1) perceptual abstraction and visual thinking, (2) perceptual dynamics and expression, and (3) perceptual "goodness" and beauty, it can be seen the degree to which Arnheim actually altered the basis of the general theory of Gestalt psychology, affirming the centrality of art in its purview. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

After "The Baltimore Affair": James Mark Baldwin's life and work, 1908–1934.

James Mark Baldwin was one of the earliest American practitioners of the "new psychology" and an influential figure in the emergence and establishment of psychology in the US. He left the US because of a scandal in Baltimore resulting from his arrest at a "colored" bordello. Baldwin returned only occasionally to North America following his forced resignation from Johns Hopkins University in 1909. Contrary to the few references to his life after leaving Baltimore, Baldwin appears to have initially settled in England. He made numerous extended trips to Mexico and continental Europe, especially France, which eventually became his adopted home. Baldwin's later life and work in Europe are examined in this article. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On accepting diversity.

Comments on S. Litt's (1977) advocacy of tolerance and a greater acceptance of diversity in psychology, focusing on Litt's treatment of F. Perls, Gestalt psychology, and gestalt therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)