PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22465, 28 July 1938, Page 6

PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE

* “IMPORTANT PART PLAYED” DR. T. GREENWOOD’S ADDRESS “Having now reached the status of a science, psychology is becoming more and more objective, and is playing an important part in the guidance of social organisms and the treatment of disease,” said Dr. T. Greenwood, lecturer in logic at Birkbeck College University of London, in an address at Canterbury University College last evening. The rector, (Dr. J. Hight) presided. “There are two main schools in British psychology, the traditionalists and the experimentalists,” said Dr. Greenwood. "The former have three main characteristics: asserting the self as the subject and object of experiments. favouring introspection, and opposing both associationism and even experimental psychology. There arc two chief exponents of this school. James Ward and Professor Stout, The former attempt's to analyse and trace the development of the individual, and the latter stresses the dualism between mind and body. “The experimental psychologists are characterised by a complete change in outlook, having become analytical and dynamic instead of synthetic and descriptive. They arc most interested in more or less small portions of the subject, without necessarily trying to form a new synthesis of the system. Psycho-analysis was introduced into England by Dr. Jones, but it has not inspired men to make a general synthesis of psychological theory. "The methods of the experimental psychologist are of three kinds, descriptive. biological, and physiological, Professor Lloyd Morgan being an outstanding exponent of the second approach, in addition to being a wellknown philosopher. Other noteworthy names in experimental psychology are those of Dr. Henry Head, G. C. Flugcl. and Professor Spearman. The lastnamed’s work on the nature of intelligence, correlating the various aspects of personality .such as memory and imagination with intelligence itself, is particularly important. “Psychology has exercised a great influence on contemporary literature, notably on D. H. Lawrence, Aldous Huxley, and James Joyce.” said Dr. Greenwood. “A knowledge of the psychological background which inspired these writers is very useful in reading their books. Lawrence makes a constant use of psycho-analysis, his message being to release the primitive forces in man so’ as to make human behaviour more natural. Huxley defends his opinions on a psychological basis, notably in a collection of essays entitled ‘Do What You Will.’ Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ is not so much a story as a series of psychological reactions presented one after another.”