SUBTLE PSYCHE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 505, 12 May 1909, Page 5

SUBTLE PSYCHE.

ADDRESS TO TEACHERS. BY PROFESSOR HUNTER. . An interesting lecture was delivered under the auspices of the Teachers' Institute by Professor Hunter, of Victoria College, last night. Professor .Hunter .chose as his subject "Some Aspects of Experimental Psychology and Education." There ,was a large attendance of members, tho president, Mr. Parkinson, M.A., occupying'the chair. According to Professor Huntor, man was what he was becauso his methods of thought had given Him superiority over tho animals.' By his mental grasp, man now worked over a wider area and over a greater period of time than any of his predecossprs. Psychology had long been assooiatcd with metaphysics, but it had, made no progress of note until it was separated from general philosophy, and considered a fair field of endeavour in itself.' The delay in tho application of experimental methods to psychology was due partly to philosophical reasons and partly to theological reasons. ■ Professor Hunter went on to say that the' difference between experiments and observations was due merely to difference in control over conditions. Great emphasis was,.he said, placed on a knowledge of Latin, Greek, etc.,. on the part of teachers, but that which was of much importance, viz., a. knowledge of psychology, must be picked up jn a desultory way. In the time of stress which was coming, the English people would feel the consequences of neg'lect in scientific education. That England was awakening to that view was shown by the fact that she was allowing as many of her teachers as possible- to come into contact with American and Continental ' methods. I There was a lot on the syllabus which could very well give way to, what, was really necessary. His remarks on that-point, applied to novices only, because an enthusiastic teacher must become a psychologist to be successful. What psychologists wanted to know was not what mind was, but how it acted. 'Whatever its future, it was undoubted that scientific psychology had shown the importance of tho following _ principles in education, and had thrown light on their proper emplovment:— . . V , (1) Tho enormous importance of *in.ter- - est as a determinant of attention and the conditions of interest; (2) tho necessity of concentrating attention and of avoid-, anco of its dissipation and the conditions of those; (3) the value and condition of suggestion ;• (4) the absolute necessity of tho continuing and grading of work if the best results wero to bo . obtained;.(s) "tho amazing individual differences that must, as far as possible, be provided for; and,(6) the:overthrow of the old view , that man was a rational machine, and the importance now placed . in tho feeling and aspects of the develop- . ing character., •■■■■■■. ■ Every mental state, whether one knew it or not, took somo active form. If a teacher had a.school in dismal surroundings, he might expect a great deal of inattention. If tho 'surroundings wore such as to increase the pleasantness of the conditions, he might expect much better work on 'the part of his pupils. Experimental psychology helped a teacher to determine the best order in which the various subjects should be taken, and the manner' of imparting knowledge which would produce the best results. Thoro' was, ho:c6ntinued; a sad lack of co-ordination in connection with the primary, secondary, and university' departments. Students should bo encouraged 1 to aim at training, rather than degrees. He did not see why education should not bo utilitarian—not in the sense of £ s. d., though he did not seo why it shouia not lead to a greater portion of this' world's goods-than was at present tho enso, but in the wider senso of training for one's profession, and a nobler citizenship. The universities, ho held, should provide as far as possible conditions which would allow individualities to develop. 'It should be the endeavour of _every teaoher to learn the typo ■of.mental■ imagery of his-pupils, especially I tho backward ones. Tho crying needs of the present system of education were:— ' (1) Scientific knowledge of tho development of the, child; (2) co-ordination of ..the parts of our system; (3) the ooncon-, tration.of .attention on a small number' ■ of fundamental subjects; (4) tho union of tho teacher and the, examining functions. Upon the motion of Mr. Poeter,. a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Professor Hunter, for his'.lecture, .the interest, in which was'heightened by a number of experiments. :