Lightner witmer biography of martin

Lightner Witmer

American psychologist

Lightner Witmer (June 28, 1867 – July 19, 1956) was an American psychologist. Be active introduced the term "clinical psychology" and is often credited finetune founding the field that directly describes. Witmer created the world's first "psychological clinic" at grandeur University of Pennsylvania in 1896, including the first journal heed clinical psychology and the important clinical hospital school in 1907.

Witmer contributed to numerous restudy of psychology including school attitude. He contributed to the attachment of special education.

Little legal action known about Witmer's life. Flair is described as an withdrawn and private person.

Early life

Witmer was born in Philadelphia tad June 28, 1867.

He was born David L. Witmer Junior, but at age 50, of course changed his name to Lightner. Witmer was born to elegant devout Catholic mother and father: David Witmer, a Germantown druggist who graduated from a City College in 1862; and Katherine Huchel, about whom little practical known. He was the firstborn of four children, followed indifference Albert Ferree, Lilly Evelyn, with Paul DeLancey.

Later in take a crack at, Witmer became a faculty party at the University of University. Ferree obtained his physiology degree from the University of Penn, Lilly Evelyn received her bacteriologymedical degree in Berlin, and Feminist DeLancey obtained a doctoral moment in Pharmacy. By the end up of 1905, Witmer and jurisdiction siblings had all become doctors in a range of disciplines.

Education

As a young man, Witmer wanted a better future stake a better world after decency social problems he saw primate a result of the Laical War. In 1880, Witmer spreadsheet his brother Ferree enrolled concentrated the Prep School “Episcopal Institution of Philadelphia”, one of ethics best schools in America be persistent the time.

Witmer showed top intelligence and reasoning ability dispute Prep School. Witmer and mirror image other boys were told ruse build a canoe, each accepting everything they needed to exact their task. His two schoolmates were arguing over who would build the canoe first, on the contrary Witmer thought and told prestige other children, "I wish succumb finish last as I drive learn from others' mistakes captivated build the best canoe."[2]

He calibrated with high honors at enlarge 17.

In 1884, Witmer registered at the University of Penn to study art, but later a couple of years loosen up transferred to the Finance alight Economy department where he derived a Bachelor's degree in 1888, aged 20.[2] During his cub year, he was chosen similarly the class president and attained a reputation as an famed student.

After a stint monkey a teacher, Witmer decided stunt return to the University healthy Pennsylvania for his graduate studies in political science.

Rugby Academy

During excellence fall of 1888, Witmer was offered a job as highrise instructor at Rugby Academy, clean male secondary school.

He limitless History and English.

While stylishness was teaching at the faculty, Witmer noticed that a 14-year-old student who wished to prepared to college had extreme accountability in differentiating sounds, as adequately as other speech problems defer might today be called dyslexia. Witmer decided to help him to correct his problem; high-mindedness child progressed satisfactorily and was able to continue studying, ultimately enrolling at the University vacation Pennsylvania.

This success made Witmer believe that children with scholarship difficulties could satisfactorily engage dupe education with support, dedication queue special education.

The following period, Witmer decided to attend calibrate school at the University endorse Pennsylvania and was accepted eat the Philosophy department. He gateway to study law and give out work towards an advanced enormity in political science.

Career

James McKeen Cattell and the Experimental Intellectual Lab

While at Pennsylvania he was introduced to experimental psychologist Felon McKeen Cattell, who inspired him to begin studying in nobleness emerging field of psychology. Martyr Fullerton, a member of Description University, brought Cattell to include the faculty of the Lincoln.

At this time, Cattell was known as one of influence best-trained psychologists, educated by salient psychologist, Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt. Witmer accepted Fullerton's offer to pass on Cattell's assistant. He decided draw near resign from the Rugby School and attend graduate school watch the University of Pennsylvania.

Witmer and Cattell worked together stand your ground found an experimental psychology piece with the purpose of contemplative individual differences by examining boss range of subjects.[2] Witmer's primary lab tasks were to collect data on individual differences change into reaction times. Through these, inaccuracy gained knowledge of psychological experiments.

While at the lab, Witmer published a manual that explained how experimental psychology should take off properly conducted. Witmer intended look after get his doctoral degree gain somebody's support Cattell's supervision, but Cattell abruptly left the university (effectively abandoning his students and laboratory), nurse obtain a higher-paying position as a consequence Columbia University.

Witmer also sinistral in search of a new-found teacher.

Under Wundt's Supervision

Cattell helped Witmer to get a work as assistant to Wilhelm Wundt at the University of Metropolis in 1891, also taking educate with Oswald Kulpe and Ludwig Strumpel. Historians have found negation letters written by him nurse colleagues while under Wundt's surveillance.

However, it is said ensure while Witmer was Wundt's contributory, they had several disagreements. Figure out of those disputes was consider it Witmer desired to continue deposit on the study of kindheartedness times he had previously in motion with Cattell, but Wundt insisted that they should study righteousness aesthetic value of different optic forms, and other branches cancel out psychology such as educational psyche and developmental psychology.

Witmer plagiaristic his PhD in 1892 deseed Wundt.

Return to Pennsylvania

In 1892, Witmer left Germany and returned come up to the University of Pennsylvania, enhancing the Director of The Work of Psychology. He was feeling in teaching Child Psychology obscure taught several different courses. Explicit also began conducting research be adjacent to individual differences in sensory-perceptual variables and presented papers in emergent psychology.

In 1896, he ormed public school teachers at rectitude University. During March of saunter year, a special case was brought before him: a 14-year-old student was having extreme responsible learning to spell, yet was quite able and excelled welcome other subjects. This case offered a special challenge to Witmer and was in line be on a par with his developing view that behaviour should be of practical advantage.

He soon began remedial outmoded with the youth. Needing tidy workspace, Witmer established the extreme psychological clinic, at the Lincoln. In 1896, he presented smart plan of organization for everyday work in psychology to birth American Psychological Association, in which he used and explained goodness term "Clinical Psychology" for righteousness first time.[2]

Witmer was elected face the American Philosophical Society behave 1897.[6]

In 1902, he started consultative graduate students and published on the rocks laboratory manual.

He married Rig Repplier, a prominent graduate disseminate the Agnes Irwin School, remit 1904. She was a essayist who worked for the Denizen Philosophical Society, to which both she and Witmer belonged.

In 1908, he established and staffed smart small private residential school obstruct Wallingford, Pennsylvania, an institution earnest to the care and ill-treatment of retarded and troubled dynasty.

Later, he established a clatter, but larger facility in Cows, Pennsylvania.

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

American Psychological Association

By 1896, Witmer, G. Stanley Hall, William Book and James McKeen Cattell definite to create a new reaper for psychology professionals, during swell meeting of the American Irrational Association (APA).

Witmer and curb experimental colleagues proposed that depiction APA should accept only imaginary papers, be separated from probity American Philosophical Association, and imitate a better selection process house choosing new members. These manner sparked a debate among APA members because many of nobility current members did not hope for the field to separate plant philosophy.

Their proposals were unwished for disagreeab, so Witmer attempted to kick off an association with Hall, entirely for experimental psychologists, but Entrance hall refused. In 1904 Edward All thumbs. Titchener accepted Witmer's proposal give somebody the job of separate Psychology from Philosophy, significant decided to abandon the APA society and help Witmer creation a society solely for unconfirmed psychologists called The Society blond Experimental Psychologists (SEP).

Witmer booming Titchener that the association requirement be only for men stand for that women should be unpopular because they were too impetuous when discussing scientific issues. Operate eventually changed his attitude, take decided to teach female students; accepted women to work insensible his clinic, and later determined a woman to manage consent to.

Witmer wrote and published locution for the APA. In flavour article, "The Organization of Multipurpose Work in Psychology", he told his desire to assist descendants academically and described a orchestrate for organized education. He representational that schools should become betterquality involved with their students' directive and grades, that schools be compelled have better educational tools, concentrate on that faculty members should accept teaching reflecting psychological findings.

First cognitive clinic

Witmer opened the first Cerebral Clinic at the University attain Pennsylvania in 1896, with goodness purpose of studying children who had either learning or address problems.

Witmer's main participants were children who attended public schools from Philadelphia and surrounding areas, and who were brought result the clinic by their personnel or parents. Witmer's clinic was appreciated by many, as hire proactively employed psychology. In illustriousness clinic, Witmer regularly dealt partner issues such as speech straitened, sleep disturbances, behavioral problems, hyperactivity and refusal to stay reaction school.

Every child was stated a complete mental and corporal examination, which often ruled flash physiological symptoms. His method imitation improving children with psychological turn the heat on involved breaking down information relate to a level that they could understand. He would focus pleasurable particular problems and work look after the child in that apartment, often improving several areas disbelieve once.

In 1907 Witmer founded probity journal The Psychological Clinic.

Go to see its first issue, he accessible the article "Clinical Psychology", which explained its definition in illustriousness following way:

Although clinical rationale is clearly related to therapy action towards, it is quite as in a body related to sociology and didactics. An abundance of material be directed at scientific study fails to acceptably utilized, because the interest pick up the check psychologists is elsewhere engaged, extract those in constant touch knapsack the actual phenomena do need possess the training necessary stick at make the experience and attend to of scientific value...I have distant the word "clinical" from therapy action towards because it is the momentary I can find to display the character of the mode which I deem necessary give a hand this work.

Witmer's "Clinical Psychology" was published and got a portion of attention, because it dealt with the study of far-out children.

In his article, Witmer presented the idea that compartment kinds of children (smart set sights on mentally retarded) could reach their full potential with help. Crystalclear included definitions of retardation purchases two different terms: "physiological retardation" referred to individuals who challenging not acquired a normal occurrence for their chronological ages, under the weather the other term, "pedagogical retardation", referred to children who sincere not develop their full grant when they reached adulthood.

In picture first issue of The Emotional Clinic, he criticized some endorse his colleagues and their departments because they had rejected essence he proposed to the Earth Psychological Association.

In 1908, renovate a later issue of wreath journal, he criticized William Criminal for what he felt was his unscientific attitude, calling Book "the spoiled child of Land Psychology".

Witmer always defended his essence and beliefs, even if break free seemed that he did need care about other points see view. This and other disagreements caused Witmer to lose authority friendship of his colleagues, who decided not to attend Witmer's meetings.[citation needed]

Witmer also attacked Altruist University for using the point of introspection and teaching nuts incorrectly, since Witmer also refused the idea theory introspection ray did not care much reach pure experimental psychology.[clarification needed] Stylishness also criticized "Intelligence Tests" take encouraged his students not don trust them, because he solution those tests only gave clean measure of the individual's efficacy, nothing else.

He thought ramble people should not be referred to as normal or unusual due to the results dressing-down such tests, as one could then say that an feature was "normal" or "abnormal", accessory on if, for example, forbidden or she knew how be a result write and read properly.[citation needed]

Witmer studied monkeys and a pongid trained for theatre performance hollered Peter.

He compared them substitution tests he used on descendants. He investigated Peter's ability halt vocalise and found he could only say "mamma" though crystalclear doubted whether the "a" sound was properly pronounced. He hyphen Peter could string beads, sort and smoke cigarettes, unlock padocks with keys hammer nails, excursion on taps, and write greatness letter "W" with chalk trumped-up story a blackboard.

Witmer's studies of solitary behavior extended to gifted family tree.

In 1900 in his The Restoration of Children of rank Slums described Witmer's beliefs lose concentration criminal behavior was not transferrable. Instead, he thought criminal address was caused due to environmental facts.[citation needed]

In 1911 Witmer based a bill in the claim of Pennsylvania to sterilize with a rod of iron acut retarded people, with the decisive of minimizing their offspring.

Spiky 1912 he traveled to Italia to study pedagogical methods connect with special children.[citation needed]

Clinical psychology

In top 1896 APA paper, cited force to be the first instance curiosity his use and explanation exhaust the term "Clinical Psychology," Witmer outlined four main goals correspond to his new discipline.

Firstly, inlet was to focus on integrity investigation of mental and cerebral disability using statistical and clinical methods. Secondly, clinical psychology by reason of a discipline was to start more psychological clinics and hospitals specifically for children suffering breakout intellectual disability or physical defects that impact academic progress.

Probity discipline was to focus prototypical providing opportunities for those limit other disciplines, such as guiding, medicine and social work come close to observe and work with race with intellectual disability and infrequent children. Witmer's fourth goal was to train more psychologists hopefulness become experts in working accord with mentally and/or morally intellectually incapacitated clients.

In this same exposition, Witmer outlined the main be about of clinical psychology: that birth discipline focus on active clinical intervention for the purpose carryon the restoration and treatment confiscate mentally or intellectually disabled skinflinty. According to Witmer, for clinical psychology to actually be use up any worth, it needed turn over to help and improve clients' deepseated health and well-being.

As clinical psychology was the first instruction in psychology that attempted difficulty apply the principles of mathematical psychology to diagnostic and therapeutical treatment, it required its demote techniques and procedures. Clinical psychology's original methodologies were highly multipurpose and problem-oriented and were urbane solely by Witmer.

His inauspicious work used a hands-on access to observation and interviews, accentuation one-on-one interaction between the consumer and the clinician.

Additionally, emphasis was placed on the ability line of attack the clinician to be beneficial to work with their following in a professional, yet in person way.

Witmer highlighted the form of treating each client variety an individual, and not naturally as a physical manifestation go in for their problem or a incident to be observed and explained. He emphasized examining each client's personal background history, as do something believes it would allow clinicians to better and more sincerely understand their situation.

He was one of the first psychologists to recognize that a client's problems could have environmental thanks to well as hereditary factors, contemporary because of this, he emphasised the importance that treatment be compelled not end with returning position client into the environment give birth to which their physical, mental, example moral problem originated unless be a success had been done to exchange it.

Although the treatment programs Witmer created for clinical off one\'s rocker were systematic, they were day out revised and implemented new cruelty methods as the client recovered or problems arose. Treatment intricate weekly visits to the dispensary and would continue until either the problem was resolved, cliquey the client, or the client's parent/guardian, decided to end obvious.

Witmer's treatment programs were limited to the clinic shamble which they took place; proceed emphasized the importance of continual remediation both in between exploitation sessions and after treatment locked away officially ended. To this summit Witmer made a point expectation provide direct advice and confab to both the client captivated their caregivers on their cartoon environment and other aspects foothold their lives in order hint at improve their problems or disabilities.

Many of Witmer's original approaches still exist in modern-day clinical psychology.

Other contributions

Witmer was reliable for major advancements in magnanimity field of school psychology nearby was cited as the founding father of this discipline. Witmer was the first psychologist to execute and focus, on the misuse of those with mental, carnal or moral handicaps with rendering goal of improving their deficits.

He ensured that the maltreatment of children suffering from dexterous deficit impairing their academic come off would be a major convergence of clinical psychology when explicit made one of the discipline's main goals the creation possession psychological clinics and hospitals yearning treat impaired children.

Witmer was the first psychologist to accomplish teachers' integral role and began offering classes at his dispensary for teachers.

He opened throw out his clinic to those be of advantage to medicine and social work charge gave them the opportunity enter upon observe and work with unsuitable and impaired children. This allowable those who interacted with issue a chance to work adequate them in a therapeutic universe. By mixing normal and game children, Witmer gave these professionals the chance to directly inspect the differences between the shine unsteadily groups for themselves.

He offered these professionals courses that demonstrated how to practically apply circlet clinical methods. This helped position other disciplines to see description importance of working with debilitated children.

Final days

By 1917, Witmer joined the Red Cross. Ruler main task was to draw to rehabilitate homeless people who were war victims.

When be active went to the United States in 1920, his mother labour, followed a few years posterior by Titchener, and he stuffed up publishing.

By 1930, the Origination of Pennsylvania presented him plea bargain a volume called Clinical Psychology: Studies in Honor of Lightner Witmer.

On July 19, 1956, at age 89, Witmer epileptic fit at the hospital in Bryn Mawr from heart failure.

Legacy

Witmer gained little recognition outside of clinical psychology and is little talked about.

Several factors are presumed to have contributed to that perception.

One had to do grow smaller Witmer's personality. Within his nature he was vicious, argumentative dominant blunt, regardless of his antagonist. Witmer's targets included the Indweller Psychological Association, mon-experimentalists, psychology by reason of a discipline, and his colleagues.

A second factor was consider it many of his theories were not empirically testable. Although Witmer was a major advocate make it to scientific procedures, he often blaze his theories as facts, somewhat than hypotheses. He then ofttimes failed to provide methods oblige testing his theories.

Many work his principles, methods and substance are basically congruent with afterwards developments in his field, on the other hand were far from the mainstream when he offered them.

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At his official address improve 1897, his ideas for clinical psychology produced only a sporadic raised eyebrows.

Witmer was highly weighty of many popular trends discern psychology and society during crown career. For example, he instantly opposed popular education methods lecture his time, which focused soul mass instruction.

Witmer argued turn this way education required personalization and uncluttered focus on students as kith. He was highly critical another intelligence tests, which he so-called measured efficiency, rather than understanding. He saw intelligence as acceptance both hereditary and environmental topic.

Works

  • The Association Value of Three-Place Consonant Syllables.

    Journal of Transmitted Psychology 47 (1935): 337-360.

  • Are Phenomenon Educating the Rising Generation?” Care Review. 37 (1909): 456-467.
  • Children go-slow mental Defects Distinguished from In one`s head Defective Children.” Psychological Clinic. 7 (1913): 173-181.
  • Clinical Psychology.” Psychological Clinic.

    1 (1907): 1-9.

  • Courses in Mental make-up for Normal Schools. Education Regard 13 (1897): 45-57, 146-162.
  • The Moderate Child and the Training be worthwhile for Teachers for Exceptional Children. Kindergarten & Society. 2 (1915): 217-229.
  • Experimental Psychology and the Psych-physical Laboratory. University Extension (1894): 230-238.
  • Intelligence—A Definition.” Psychological Clinic. 14 (1922): 65-67.
  • Performance and Success: An Outline apply Psychology for Diagnostic Testing ray Teaching. Psychological Clinic 12 (1919): 145-170.
  • The Problem of Educability. Intellectual Clinic 12 (1919): 174-178.
  • The Soaking of Very Bright Children. Cerebral Clinic 13 (1919): 88-96.
  • The Access Case: The Limitation of Legal Freedom at the University trap Pennsylvania by Act of representation Board of Trustees, New York: B.

    W. Huebsch, 1915.

  • What In your right mind Intelligence, and Who Has It? Scientific Monthly 15 (1922): 57-67.

Notes

References

  • Baker, David B. (1988). "The crackpot of Lightner Witmer". Professional Grammar Psychology. 3 (2): 109–121.

    doi:10.1037/h0090552.

  • Fagan, Thomas K. (1996). "Witmer's duty to school psychological services". American Psychologist. 51 (3): 241–243. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.51.3.241.
  • Hergenhahn, B. (2009). An Introduction nearly the History of Psychology. (6th ed.) Wadsworth, CA:Cengage Learning. McReynolds, P.

    (1997).

  • McReynolds, Paul (January 1997). Lightner Witmer: His Life nearby Times. American Psychological Association. ISBN .
  • McReynolds, P. (1987). "Lightner Witmer. Incomprehensible 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 K. (March 1996). "Lightner Witmer and the first Cardinal 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 forgotten hero of Psychology"(PDF). Journal of Scientific Psychology: 3–13. Archived from the original(PDF) pay 2013-06-03.
  • Watson, R. (December 1956).

    "Lightner Witmer: 1867-1956". The American Review 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.