Mary Whiton Calkins (1863–1930)

1980 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel Furumoto
Keyword(s):  
William James ◽  
Paired Associate ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
Self Psychology ◽  
The Self ◽  
American Psychological ◽  
Mental Abilities ◽  
Josiah Royce ◽  
Work Done

Mary Whiton Calkins (1863–1930) was fourteenth President of the American Psychological Association, invented the paired-associate technique, founded an early psychological laboratory, and developed a system of self-psychology. Her eminence as a psychologist and a scholar was widely acknowledged and she was the recipient of two honorary degrees. Calkins published prolifically in both psychology and philosophy, moving away from psychology into philosophy during the latter half of her career. Both her work in psychology and philosophy came to center on the importance of the self. Calkins studied with William James, Josiah Royce and Hugo Münsterberg at Harvard in the 1890s, and although she completed all the requirements for the Ph.D., she was not granted the degree because she was a woman. In 1902, she was offered a Radcliffe degree which she declined on principle, because she believed that work done at Harvard should be recognized by a Harvard degree regardless of whether the recipient was a female or a male. On many occasions throughout her life, she expressed her opposition to differentiation between the sexes based on the assumption of inherent differences in mental abilities.

The Evolution of Modern Psychology

2009 ◽  
Vol 217 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C. O’Connell ◽  
Sabine Kowal
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
William James ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
American Psychological ◽  
Stunted Growth ◽  
Wilhelm Wundt ◽  
Modern Psychology ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
Modern Era

The phrase becoming a science, as applied to the history of psychology, is at best a tendentious formulation of the status quaestionis. It presumes quite clearly that the direction of development has, indeed, been toward becoming more scientific. This presumption is engaged critically here. The American Psychological Association (APA), flagship of psychological organizations in the modern era, has undoubtedly become an empire. Whether the brand of psychology fostered currently by the APA is also the asymptote or endpoint of a developmental motion toward being more scientific merits inquiry and discussion. Schism and discontent in our midst have not been entirely political; there have also been aberrations and fads that have stunted growth and have accordingly fostered protests. Here, we consider some pioneers whose wisdom regarding the science of psychology has been, from time to time, influential, neglected, or even misguided. Modern psychology cannot, without further ado, be considered the inevitable projection of lines laid down by, for example, Wilhelm Wundt and/or William James. We, ourselves, wish to include both Hans Hörmann and C.F. Graumann as pioneers in their own right during the second half of the 20th century.

Fool’s Gold: Psychologists Using Disingenuous Reasoning to Mislead Legislatures into Granting Psychologists Prescriptive Authority

2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-524
Author(s):  
Brent Pollitt
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
American Psychological Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychotropic Medications ◽  
American Psychological ◽  
Training Requirements ◽  
Prescriptive Authority

Mental illness is a serious problem in the United States. Based on “current epidemiological estimates, at least one in five people has a diagnosable mental disorder during the course of a year.” Fortunately, many of these disorders respond positively to psychotropic medications. While psychiatrists write some of the prescriptions for psychotropic medications, primary care physicians write more of them. State legislatures, seeking to expand patient access to pharmacological treatment, granted physician assistants and nurse practitioners prescriptive authority for psychotropic medications. Over the past decade other groups have gained some form of prescriptive authority. Currently, psychologists comprise the primary group seeking prescriptive authority for psychotropic medications.The American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy (“ASAP”), a division of the American Psychological Association (“APA”), spearheads the drive for psychologists to gain prescriptive authority. The American Psychological Association offers five main reasons why legislatures should grant psychologists this privilege: 1) psychologists’ education and clinical training better qualify them to diagnose and treat mental illness in comparison with primary care physicians; 2) the Department of Defense Psychopharmacology Demonstration Project (“PDP”) demonstrated non-physician psychologists can prescribe psychotropic medications safely; 3) the recommended post-doctoral training requirements adequately prepare psychologists to prescribe safely psychotropic medications; 4) this privilege will increase availability of mental healthcare services, especially in rural areas; and 5) this privilege will result in an overall reduction in medical expenses, because patients will visit only one healthcare provider instead of two–one for psychotherapy and one for medication.

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