A Letter to the Editor

Sir,

I always read the SIGCHI bulletin with great interest and one of the first articles I turn to is the column Views and Feelings at the end of the issue. Reading the April '96 column by Ed Chilton I was on the one hand pleased that he went back to the roots of scientific psychology to introduce the theme, but on the other hand I had an odd feeling. Soon I discovered why: memory is deceptive. The Titchner of the article -- student of Wundt -- is Edward Bradford Titchener. He was of English origin and studied two years in Leipzig before going to the US. He was then 25 and became director of the laboratory at Cornell University. Titchener stayed in America until his death. Though he was only one of the "Americans" that had studied with Wundt, his imposing personality and rigorous attitude made him an influential but controversial (to say the least) founder of American experimental psychology. He is primarily known for his work on attention by means of introspection, a method which is not particulary suited for this.

My sources did not mention the subject of his thesis. But surely, the question about Titchener is an interesting screening test.

More information on Titchener can be found in lots of places, but one reference -- one from my student days -- that I found particulary helpful was:

Heidbreder E. (1933) Seven Psychologies, New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.

Yours truly,

Leo Maris, Delft (The Netherlands) leo@maris.indiv.nluug.nl

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Vol.28 No.4, October 1996
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