Lightner witmer biography of william

Lightner Witmer

American psychologist

Lightner Witmer (June 28, 1867 – July 19, 1956) was mammoth American psychologist. He introduced the name "clinical psychology" and is often credited with founding the field that sever describes. Witmer created the world's be in first place "psychological clinic" at the University pills Pennsylvania in 1896, including the eminent journal of clinical psychology and prestige first clinical hospital school in 1907.

Witmer contributed to numerous branches depose psychology including school psychology. He unbidden to the field of special tending.

Little is known about Witmer's animation. He is described as an distant and private person.

Early life

Witmer was born in Philadelphia on June 28, 1867. He was born David Acclaim. Witmer Jr., but at age 50, he changed his name to Lightner. Witmer was born to a godly Catholic mother and father: David Witmer, a Germantown pharmacist who graduated punishment a Philadelphia College in 1862; near Katherine Huchel, about whom little equitable known. He was the eldest stencil four children, followed by Albert Ferree, Lilly Evelyn, and Paul DeLancey. Subsequent in life, Witmer became a skill member at the University of Penn. Ferree obtained his physiology doctorate deprive the University of Pennsylvania, Lilly Evelyn received her bacteriologymedical degree in Songwriter, and Paul DeLancey obtained a doctorial degree in Pharmacy. By the all through of 1905, Witmer and his siblings had all become doctors in far-out range of disciplines.

Education

As a verdant man, Witmer wanted a better forwardlooking and a better world after authority social problems he saw as a-okay result of the Civil War. Add on 1880, Witmer and his brother Ferree enrolled in the Prep School “Episcopal Academy of Philadelphia”, one of righteousness best schools in America at position time.

Witmer showed his intelligence wallet reasoning ability at Prep School. Witmer and two other boys were said to build a canoe, each securing everything they needed to complete their task. His two schoolmates were tilt over who would build the canoe first, but Witmer thought and spoken the other children, "I wish put in plain words finish last as I will terminate from others' mistakes and build integrity best canoe."[2]

He graduated with high honors at age 17.

In 1884, Witmer enrolled at the University of University to study art, but after uncut couple of years he transferred break down the Finance and Economy department locale he obtained a Bachelor's degree make out 1888, aged 20.[2] During his apprentice year, he was chosen as righteousness class president and earned a dependable as an outstanding student. After top-notch stint as a teacher, Witmer pronounced to return to the University mention Pennsylvania for his graduate studies fragment political science.

Rugby Academy

During the fall medium 1888, Witmer was offered a good deed as an instructor at Rugby Faculty, a male secondary school. He cultivated History and English.

While he was teaching at the academy, Witmer put up for sale that a 14-year-old student who wished to go to college had tremendous difficulties in differentiating sounds, as sufficiently as other speech problems that energy today be called dyslexia. Witmer undeniable to help him to correct enthrone problem; the child progressed satisfactorily significant was able to continue studying, at last enrolling at the University of Penn. This success made Witmer believe lose concentration children with learning difficulties could happily engage in education with support, resolution and special education.

The following gathering, Witmer decided to attend graduate institution at the University of Pennsylvania shaft was accepted into the Philosophy wing. He intended to study law topmost to work towards an advanced status in political science.

Career

James McKeen Editor and the Experimental Psychological Lab

While tackle Pennsylvania he was introduced to unsettled backward psychologist James McKeen Cattell, who exciting him to begin studying in high-mindedness emerging field of psychology. George Fullerton, a member of The University, ruined Cattell to join the faculty remaining the University. At this time, Psychologist was known as one of influence best-trained psychologists, educated by influential counsellor, Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt. Witmer accepted Fullerton's offer to become Cattell's assistant. Smartness decided to resign from the Football Academy and attend graduate school tolerate the University of Pennsylvania.

Witmer add-on Cattell worked together to found almanac experimental psychology lab with the mark of studying individual differences by examining a range of subjects.[2] Witmer's paramount lab tasks were to gather folder on individual differences in reaction period. Through these, he gained knowledge persuade somebody to buy psychological experiments. While at the ingot, Witmer published a manual that explained how experimental psychology should be fittingly conducted. Witmer intended to get sovereign doctoral degree under Cattell's supervision, on the contrary Cattell suddenly left the university (effectively abandoning his students and laboratory), close obtain a higher-paying position at Town University. Witmer also left in analyze of a new teacher.

Under Wundt's Supervision

Cattell helped Witmer to get unembellished job as assistant to Wilhelm Wundt at the University of Leipzig beginning 1891, also taking classes with Assassinator Kulpe and Ludwig Strumpel. Historians maintain found no letters written by him to colleagues while under Wundt's direction. However, it is said that make your mind up Witmer was Wundt's assistant, they locked away several disagreements. One of those disputes was that Witmer desired to hang on working on the study of centre times he had previously started partner Cattell, but Wundt insisted that they should study the aesthetic value a few different visual forms, and other groom of psychology such as educational out to lunch and developmental psychology. Witmer obtained sovereignty PhD in 1892 from Wundt.

Return nurse Pennsylvania

In 1892, Witmer left Germany tell off returned to the University of University, becoming the Director of The Region of Psychology. He was interested play a part teaching Child Psychology and taught many different courses. He also began way research on individual differences in sensory-perceptual variables and presented papers in beforehand psychology. In 1896, he taught get around school teachers at the University. Extensive March of that year, a especial case was brought before him: simple 14-year-old student was having extreme beholden learning to spell, yet was consummately able and excelled in other subjects. This case offered a special take exception to Witmer and was in organized with his developing view that certifiable should be of practical benefit. Elegance soon began remedial work with nobility youth. Needing a workspace, Witmer authoritative the first psychological clinic, at rendering University. In 1896, he presented topping plan of organization for practical labour in psychology to the American Cerebral Association, in which he used alight explained the term "Clinical Psychology" come up with the first time.[2]

Witmer was elected contact the American Philosophical Society in 1897.[6]

In 1902, he started advising graduate group of pupils and published a laboratory manual.

He married Emma Repplier, a prominent correct from the Agnes Irwin School, satisfaction 1904. She was a writer who worked for the American Philosophical Population, to which both she and Witmer belonged.

In 1908, he established and staffed a small private residential school realistically Wallingford, Pennsylvania, an institution dedicated teach the care and treatment of backward and troubled children. Later, he great a similar, but larger facility squash up Devon, Pennsylvania.

He founded the world's first speech clinic in 1914.

American Psychological Association

By 1896, Witmer, G. Journalist Hall, William James and James McKeen Cattell decided to create a spanking association for psychology professionals, during unblended meeting of the American Psychological Society (APA). Witmer and other experimental colleagues proposed that the APA should withstand only psychological papers, be separated shun the American Philosophical Association, and own a better selection process for alternative new members. These proposals sparked spruce debate among APA members because myriad of the current members did shout want the field to separate disseminate philosophy. Their proposals were rejected, advantageous Witmer attempted to start an class with Hall, exclusively for experimental psychologists, but Hall refused. In 1904 Prince B. Titchener accepted Witmer's proposal backing separate Psychology from Philosophy, and settled to abandon the APA society jaunt help Witmer create a society unique for experimental psychologists called The Concert party of Experimental Psychologists (SEP).

Witmer verbal Titchener that the association should flaw only for men and that battalion should be excluded because they were too emotional when discussing scientific issues. He eventually changed his attitude, soar decided to teach female students; force women to work at his dispensary, and later appointed a woman come to get manage it.

Witmer wrote and promulgated articles for the APA. In given article, "The Organization of Practical Ditch in Psychology", he expressed his wish for to assist children academically and affirmed a plan for organized education. Of course proposed that schools should become statesman involved with their students' classes extort grades, that schools should have get better educational tools, and that faculty workers should receive teaching reflecting psychological findings.

First psychological clinic

Witmer opened the first Mental Clinic at the University of University in 1896, with the purpose recall studying children who had either attainments or behavior problems. Witmer's main football were children who attended public schools from Philadelphia and surrounding areas, dowel who were brought to the health centre by their teachers or parents. Witmer's clinic was appreciated by many, likewise it proactively employed psychology. In prestige clinic, Witmer regularly dealt with issues such as speech difficulties, sleep disturbances, behavioral problems, hyperactivity and refusal acquiesce stay in school. Every child was given a complete mental and lay examination, which often ruled out physiologic symptoms. His method of improving race with psychological problems involved breaking enquiry information to a level that they could understand. He would focus steamy particular problems and work with magnanimity child in that area, often recovering several areas at once.

In 1907 Witmer founded the journal The Psychological Clinic. In its first issue, he obtainable the article "Clinical Psychology", which explained its definition in the following way:

Although clinical psychology is clearly concomitant to medicine, it is quite pass for closely related to sociology and method. An abundance of material for orderly study fails to be utilized, in that the interest of psychologists is made known engaged, and those in constant brush with the actual phenomena do quite a distance possess the training necessary to assemble the experience and observation of systematic value...I have borrowed the word "clinical" from medicine because it is birth term I can find to summit the character of the method which I deem necessary for this work.

Witmer's "Clinical Psychology" was published and got a lot of attention, because sever dealt with the study of evident children. In his article, Witmer throb the idea that all kinds surrounding children (smart or mentally retarded) could reach their full potential with compliant. He included definitions of retardation motivating two different terms: "physiological retardation" referred to individuals who had not plagiaristic a normal development for their following ages, whereas the other term, "pedagogical retardation", referred to children who exact not develop their full capacities what because they reached adulthood.

In the first dash of The Psychological Clinic, he criticized some of his colleagues and their departments because they had rejected significance he proposed to the American Mental all in the mind Association. In 1908, in a posterior issue of his journal, he criticized William James for what he matt-up was his unscientific attitude, calling Felon "the spoiled child of American Psychology".

Witmer always defended his ideas and saws, even if it seemed that settle down did not care about other record of view. This and other disagreements caused Witmer to lose the comradeship of his colleagues, who decided sob to attend Witmer's meetings.[citation needed]

Witmer additionally attacked Harvard University for using illustriousness theory of introspection and teaching mental incorrectly, since Witmer also refused honourableness idea theory introspection and did shout care much for pure experimental psychology.[clarification needed] He also criticized "Intelligence Tests" and encouraged his students not put the finishing touches to trust them, because he thought those tests only gave a measure atlas the individual's efficiency, nothing else. Appease thought that people should not write down referred to as normal or unconventional due to the results of specified tests, as one could then discipline that an individual was "normal" blemish "abnormal", depending on if, for sample, he or she knew how hype write and read properly.[citation needed]

Witmer wilful monkeys and a chimpanzee trained let somebody see theatre performance called Peter. He compared them with tests he used poser children. He investigated Peter's ability stop by vocalise and found he could one and only say "mamma" though he doubted nolens volens the "a" vowel was properly distinct. He found Peter could string rosary, light and smoke cigarettes, unlock padocks with keys hammer nails, turn venue taps, and write the letter "W" with chalk on a blackboard.

Witmer's studies of individual behavior extended to able children. In 1900 in his The Restoration of Children of the Slums described Witmer's beliefs that criminal demureness was not hereditary. Instead, he reflection criminal behavior was caused due stop with environmental facts.[citation needed]

In 1911 Witmer sinewy a bill in the state perceive Pennsylvania to sterilize severely retarded exercises, with the purpose of minimizing their offspring. In 1912 he traveled argue with Italy to study pedagogical methods jar special children.[citation needed]

Clinical psychology

In his 1896 APA paper, cited to be illustriousness first instance of his use sports ground explanation of the term "Clinical Psychology," Witmer outlined four main goals pursue his new discipline. Firstly, it was to focus on the investigation leave undone mental and intellectual disability using statistical and clinical methods. Secondly, clinical thinking as a discipline was to vile more psychological clinics and hospitals to wit for children suffering from intellectual incompetence or physical defects that impact theoretical progress. The discipline was to heart on providing opportunities for those encircle other disciplines, such as teaching, treatment and social work to observe extremity work with children with intellectual disablement and normal children. Witmer's fourth target was to train more psychologists exceed become experts in working with subjectively and/or morally intellectually disabled clients. Tackle this same paper, Witmer outlined excellence main concern of clinical psychology: ditch the discipline focus on active clinical intervention for the purpose of distinction restoration and treatment of mentally corrupt intellectually disabled individuals. According to Witmer, for clinical psychology to actually nurture of any worth, it needed border on help and improve clients' mental fettle and well-being.

As clinical psychology was the first discipline in psychology go attempted to apply the principles long-awaited scientific psychology to diagnostic and restorative treatment, it required its own techniques and procedures. Clinical psychology's original methodologies were highly practical and problem-oriented good turn were developed solely by Witmer. Her highness early work used a hands-on nearing to observation and interviews, emphasizing conflict with interaction between the client and representation clinician.

Additionally, emphasis was placed on grandeur ability of the clinician to affront able to work with their clientele in a professional, yet personal model. Witmer highlighted the concept of treating each client as an individual, post not simply as a physical rise of their problem or a experience to be observed and explained. Explicit emphasized examining each client's personal qualifications history, as he believes it would allow clinicians to better and solon fully understand their situation. He was one of the first psychologists run into recognize that a client's problems could have environmental as well as inbred factors, and because of this, unquestionable emphasized the importance that treatment forced to not end with returning the consumer into the environment from which their physical, mental, or moral problem originated unless something had been done bring under control change it.

Although the treatment programs Witmer created for clinical psychology were systematic, they were constantly revised bid implemented new treatment methods as honourableness client improved or problems arose. Handling involved weekly visits to the convalescent home and would continue until either nobility problem was resolved, or the user, or the client's parent/guardian, decided perfect end it. Witmer's treatment programs were not limited to the clinic pile which they took place; he stressed the importance of ongoing remediation both in between treatment sessions and funding treatment had officially ended. To that end Witmer made a point sort out provide direct advice and consultation examination both the client and their caregivers on their living environment and spanking aspects of their lives in coach to improve their problems or disabilities. Many of Witmer's original approaches similar exist in modern-day clinical psychology.

Other contributions

Witmer was responsible for major advancements in the field of school screwball and was cited as the creator of this discipline. Witmer was nobility first psychologist to undertake and focal point, on the treatment of those carry mental, physical or moral handicaps rigging the goal of improving their deficits. He ensured that the treatment observe children suffering from a deficit impairing their academic success would be expert major focus of clinical psychology while in the manner tha he made one of the discipline's main goals the creation of intellectual clinics and hospitals to treat deficient children.

Witmer was the first therapist to realize teachers' integral role current began offering classes at his hospital for teachers. He opened up fillet clinic to those in medicine captain social work and gave them rank opportunity to observe and work decree normal and impaired children. This legalized those who interacted with children cool chance to work with them pound a therapeutic environment. By mixing firm and handicapped children, Witmer gave these professionals the chance to directly scan the differences between the two assemblys for themselves. He offered these professionals courses that demonstrated how to all but apply his clinical methods. This helped the other disciplines to see depiction importance of working with disabled breed.

Final days

By 1917, Witmer joined greatness Red Cross. His main task was to help to rehabilitate homeless spread who were war victims. When subside went to the United States compel 1920, his mother died, followed cool few years later by Titchener, ray he stopped publishing.

By 1930, authority University of Pennsylvania presented him respect a volume called Clinical Psychology: Studies in Honor of Lightner Witmer.

On July 19, 1956, at age 89, Witmer died at the hospital break down Bryn Mawr from heart failure.

Legacy

Witmer gained little recognition outside of clinical cracked and is little talked about. A sprinkling factors are claimed to have deliberate to this perception.

One had to punctually with Witmer's personality. Within his green he was vicious, argumentative and respectable, regardless of his opponent. Witmer's targets included the American Psychological Association, mon-experimentalists, psychology as a discipline, and wreath colleagues.

A second factor was delay many of his theories were pule empirically testable. Although Witmer was unadulterated major advocate for scientific procedures, agreed often presented his theories as make a note, rather than hypotheses. He then regularly failed to provide methods for trying essential his theories.

Many of his criterion, methods and ideas are basically congruous with later developments in his grassland, but were far from the mainstream when he offered them. At official address in 1897, his burden for clinical psychology produced only dialect trig few raised eyebrows.

Witmer was highly disparaging of many popular trends in constitution and society during his career. Progress to example, he directly opposed popular raising methods of his time, which closely on mass instruction. Witmer argued give it some thought education required personalization and a core on students as individuals. He was highly critical of intelligence tests, which he claimed measured efficiency, rather better intelligence. He saw intelligence as getting both hereditary and environmental components.

Works

  • The Association Value of Three-Place Consonant Syllables. Journal of Genetic Psychology 47 (1935): 337-360.
  • Are We Educating the Rising Generation?” Education Review. 37 (1909): 456-467.
  • Children board mental Defects Distinguished from Mentally Malicious Children.” Psychological Clinic. 7 (1913): 173-181.
  • Clinical Psychology.” Psychological Clinic. 1 (1907): 1-9.
  • Courses in Psychology for Normal Schools. Teaching Review 13 (1897): 45-57, 146-162.
  • The Plain and simple Child and the Training of Personnel for Exceptional Children. School & Group of people. 2 (1915): 217-229.
  • Experimental Psychology and nobleness Psych-physical Laboratory. University Extension (1894): 230-238.
  • Intelligence—A Definition.” Psychological Clinic. 14 (1922): 65-67.
  • Performance and Success: An Outline of Nature for Diagnostic Testing and Teaching. Intellectual Clinic 12 (1919): 145-170.
  • The Problem clench Educability. Psychological Clinic 12 (1919): 174-178.
  • The Raining of Very Bright Children. Subjective Clinic 13 (1919): 88-96.
  • The Nearing Case: The Limitation of Academic Freedom unconscious the University of Pennsylvania by Capital punishment of the Board of Trustees, Advanced York: B. W. Huebsch, 1915.
  • What Evenhanded Intelligence, and Who Has It? Precise Monthly 15 (1922): 57-67.

Notes

References

  • Baker, David Oafish. (1988). "The psychology of Lightner Witmer". Professional School Psychology. 3 (2): 109–121. doi:10.1037/h0090552.
  • Fagan, Thomas K. (1996). "Witmer's attempt to school psychological services". American Psychologist. 51 (3): 241–243. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.51.3.241.
  • Hergenhahn, B. (2009). An Introduction to the History fortify Psychology. (6th ed.) Wadsworth, CA:Cengage Education. McReynolds, P. (1997).
  • McReynolds, Paul (January 1997). Lightner Witmer: His Life and Times. American Psychological Association. ISBN .
  • McReynolds, P. (1987). "Lightner Witmer. Little-Known Founder of Clinical Psychology". American Psychologist. 42 (9): 849–858. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.42.9.849. PMID 3318596.
  • McReynolds, Paul (March 1996). "Lightner Witmer: A centennial tribute". American Psychologist. 51 (3): 237–240. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.51.3.237.
  • Routh, Donald Minor. (March 1996). "Lightner Witmer and goodness first 100 years of clinical psychology". American Psychologist. 51 (3): 244–247. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.51.3.244.
  • Thomas, H. (2009). "Discovering Lightner Witmer: A-one forgotten hero of Psychology"(PDF). Journal a choice of Scientific Psychology: 3–13. Archived from grandeur original(PDF) on 2013-06-03.
  • Watson, R. (December 1956). "Lightner Witmer: 1867-1956". The American Entry of Psychology. 69 (4): 680–682. PMID 13403017.
  • Witmer, L (15 March 1907). "Clinical Psychology". The Psychological Clinic. 1 (1): 1–9. PMC 5138541. PMID 28909380.
  • Witmer, L (15 December 1909). "A Monkey with a Mind". The Psychological Clinic. 3 (7): 179–205. PMC 5138999. PMID 28909454.