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Nothing is more humane than psychology, in the long run, even though the psychologist may seem unfeeling in the course of his investigation.
To the psychologist, conduct is a matter of cause and effect, of natural law. His business is to know the laws of that part of nature which we call human nature, and to use these laws, as fast as discovered, for solving the problems presented by the human individual or group. For him, even the most capricious conduct has its causes, even the most inexplicable has its explanation--if only the cause can be unearthed, which he does not pretend he can always actually accomplish, since causes in the mental realm are often very complex.
No one can be a psychologist all of the time; no one can or should always maintain this matter-of-fact att.i.tude towards self and neighbor. But some experience with the psychological att.i.tude is of practical value to any one, in giving clearer insight, more toleration, better control, and even saner standards of living.
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EXERCISES
1. Outline the chapter. A sample outline of the briefer sort is here given:
A. Subject-matter of psychology: mental activities.
(1) A sub-cla.s.s under vital activities.
(2) Activities of individuals, as distinguished from
(a) Activities of social groups (sociology).
(b) Activities of single organs (physiology).
(3) Either conscious, or closely related to conscious activities.
(4) May be activities of human or animal, adult or child, normal or abnormal individuals.
B. Problems of psychology:
(1) How individuals differ in their mental activities.
(2) How individuals are alike in their mental activities.
(3) Practical applications of either (1) or (2).
C. Methods of psychology:
(1) Methods of observing mental activities.
(a) Introspective, the observing by an individual of his own actions.
(b) Objective, the observation of the behavior of other individuals.
(2) General lines of attack upon psychological problems.
(a) Experimental: vary the conditions and see how the mental activity changes.
(b) Comparative: test different individuals or cla.s.ses and see how mental activity differs, etc.
(c) Genetic: trace mental development.
(d) Pathological: examine mental decay or disturbance.
2. Formulate a psychological question regarding each of the following: hours of work, genius, crime, baseball.
3. Distinguish introspection from theorizing.
4. What different sorts of objective fact can be observed in psychology?
5. What is the difference between the physiology of hearing and the psychology of hearing?
6. State two reasons why it would be undesirable to limit psychology to the introspective study of consciousness.
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7. What is the difference between an experiment and a test, (a) in purpose, (b) in method?
8. Compare the time it takes you to add twenty one-place numbers, arranged in a vertical column, and arranged in a horizontal line, (a) Is this introspective or objective observation? Why so? (b) Is it a test or an experiment? Why?
9. Write a psychological sketch of some one you know well, taking care to avoid praise and blame, and to stick to the psychological point of view.
REFERENCES
Some of the good books on the different branches of psychology are the following:
On animal psychology:
Margaret F. Washburn, _The Animal Mind_, 2nd edition, 1917.
John B. Watson, _Behavior_, 1914.
On child psychology:
Norsworthy and Whitley, _The Psychology of Childhood_, 1918.
On abnormal psychology:
A. J. Rosanoff, _Manual of Psychiatry_, 5th edition, 1920.
On applied psychology:
Hollingworth and Poffenberger, _Applied Psychology_, 1917.
On individual psychology, parts of:
E. L. Thorndike, _Educational Psychology, Briefer Course_, 1914,
Daniel Starch, _Educational Psychology_, 1919.
