O desenvolvimento de um projeto de psicologia científica em Edward Titchener

Abstract

Developed between the end of the 19th century and the two first decades of the 20th century, Titchener’s psychological project is still misinterpreted. Despite his contributions to the development of experimental psychology in the USA, his ideas were gradually abandoned after his death, and his system began to be interpreted in a fragmentary way, ignoring crucial aspects of his intellectual trajectory. Two central questions are of utmost importance: the relation between Titchener’s ideas and empiriocriticism, and the changes introduced by Titchener in his psychological project throughout his career. Assuming that his psychology reflects transformations in his philosophical perspective, the central goal of this work is to offer, based on new primary sources, a comprehensive interpretation of Titchener’s intellectual trajectory, elucidating aspects that have been hitherto only partially approached and remain poorly understood in the secondary literature. After the presentation of the research problem and methodological procedures in the introduction, chapter 1 displays the institutional and intellectual context of Titchener’s education in Oxford and Leipzig. Chapter 2 discusses Titchener’s first psychological project and the impact of his first assumptions. Chapter 3 presents the consolidation of his psychological project, showing Titchener’s change of mind in relation to philosophy and his new theoretical assumptions. Chapter 4 deals with the late development of his work as well as his reinterpretations. The conclusion resumes Titchener’s intellectual path and finishes with some general considerations regarding the nature of his work.