William James

William James (1842-1910) was a leading philosopher and psychologist at the turn of the 19th Century. Together with Charles Sanders Peirce, James founded the philosophical school of pragmatism, which holds that the meaning of an idea is to be sought in its practical effects, that the function of thought is to guide action, and that truth is to be tested by the practical consequences of belief. While this philosophy waned for most of the 20th Century, supplanted by linguistic philosophy, it is currently enjoying a renaissance, and many contemporary philosophers are returning to James as the main inspiration for new theories of perception, meaning, and belief. James has many insights concerning happiness, chief among them the idea that happiness consists in orienting yourself to a higher purpose, even if that purpose cannot be rationally proved to exist. Those who suffer from a “crisis of meaning” emerge stronger with more enthusiasm for life than those who just go through the motions and take the easy path.

By Kendra Cherry

Updated November 20, 2015

Question: Who Founded the First Psychology Lab?

Answer:

Psychology originally had its earliest roots in philosophy and physiology. According to most psychology histories, it was the establishment of the very first experimental psychology lab that officially marked psychology's beginnings as a separate and distinct discipline. So when exactly was the first psychology lab formed and who was responsible for this important event in psychology history?

The World's First Psychology Lab

Wilhelm Wundt, a German doctor and psychologist, was responsible for creating the world's first experimental psychology lab. This lab was established in 1879 at the University of Leipzig in Germany. By creating an academic laboratory devoted to the study of experimental psychology, Wundt officially took psychology from a sub-discipline of philosophy and biology to a unique scientific discipline.

Wundt had a significant influence on early psychology and left his mark on some of his most famous students who included James McKeen Cattell and G. Stanley Hall.

The First Psychology Lab in the U.S.

In 1883, Wundt's student G. Stanley Hall created the first experimental psychology lab in the United States at John Hopkins University.

Wundt, James and Hall: Who Was First?

It may surprise many to learn that neither Wundt nor Hall can exclusively lay claim to having the world's first lab or the first American lab.

In 1875, a full four years before Wundt established his lab and eight years before Hall established his, Williams James formed a psychology lab at Harvard University.

So why is James not credited with creating the world's first laboratory, or at the very least, America's first lab? Because his lab was used for teaching demonstrations rather than experimentation and original research.

For this reason, Wundt and Hall are generally credited with creating the first and second experimental psychology labs.