An Introduction to Psychology

AN INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY by WILHELM WUNDT. Originally published in 1911. AUTHORS PREFACE: IT is not the intention of this introduction to psychology to discuss the scientific or philo sophical conceptions of psychology, or even to make a survey of the investigations and their results. What this little book attempts is rather to introduce the reader to the prin cipal thoughts underlying present-day experi mental psychology, leaving out many facts and methods which would be necessary for a thorough study of the subject. To omit all mention of experimental methods and their results is at the present day impossible. Yet we only need to consider a comparatively small number of results of the first importance in order to comprehend the basal principles of the new psychology. To characterise the methods of this psychology it would be im possible to omit all reference to experiments, but we can and will omit reference to the more or less complicated instruments on which the carrying out of such experiments depends. I must refer the reader who wishes a fuller account of the new psychology to my Outlines of Psychology, which also contains the necessary bibliography of the subject. W. WUNDT. LEIPBIC, June 1911. TRANSLATORS NOTE: THE present volume is a popular introduction to the Wundtian psychology. It is a shorter and simpler sketch than the same authors Outlines of Psychology, and it should prove invaluable to the English-speaking student who wishes to gain some conception of the subject before entering upon a deeper study of the same. Its popularity in Germany has been phenomenal. In translating the work the translator has, as far as possible, used the same English terms as those employed in the translations of Wundt by Judd and Titchener. He is greatly indebted to Mr. Robert Wilson, M. A., B. Sc., for his advice and help in reading over the manuscript before going to press. RUDOLF PINTNEB. EDINBURGH, May 1912. Contents include: CHAPTER I CONSCIOUSNESS AND ATTENTION PA01 Psychology as a description of processes of conscious ness The metronome The rhythmical disposi tion of consciousness The scope of consciousness The threshold of consciousness The fixation point and field of consciousness The focus of attention The scope of attention Apprehen sion and apperception 1 CHAPTER II THE ELEMENTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS Psychical elements and compounds Sensation and idea Memory images and perceptions Quality and intensity of sensations Feelings Difference between sensation and feeling The three pairs of feelingsThe affective process Emotions and moods Volitional processes Motives Instinc tive, voluntary, and discriminative actions The qualities of feelings Feeling and apperception . 43 ix X VAJJH JLJCJ1 XO CHAPTER III ASSOCIATION PAGE Associations and apperceptions The fusion of tones into clangs Spatial and temporal perception Assimilation and dissimilation Direct and re produced forms of the same Complications The recognition and cognition of objects Successive association The so-called feeling of familiarity Secondary ideas The affective processes in re cognition The so-called states of consciousness in forgetting, remembering c...