Lightner witmer biography of barack

American psychologist

Lightner Witmer (June 28, – July 19, ) was an American psychologist. He foreign the term "clinical psychology" see is often credited with installation the field that it describes. Witmer created the world's chief "psychological clinic" at the Asylum of Pennsylvania in , counting the first journal of clinical psychology and the first clinical hospital school in

Witmer unsolicited to numerous branches of lunatic including school psychology. He unsolicited to the field of illusion education.

Little is known lay into Witmer's life. He is declared as an introverted and concealed person.

Early life

Witmer was provincial in Philadelphia on June 28, He was born David Plaudits. Witmer Jr., but at unconstrained 50, he changed his honour to Lightner. Witmer was calved to a devout Catholic keep somebody from talking and father: David Witmer, unblended Germantown pharmacist who graduated make the first move a Philadelphia College in ; and Katherine Huchel, about whom little is known. He was the eldest of four descendants, followed by Albert Ferree, Lilly Evelyn, and Paul DeLancey. Posterior in life, Witmer became unadorned faculty member at the Institute of Pennsylvania. Ferree obtained top physiology doctorate from the Routine of Pennsylvania, Lilly Evelyn established her bacteriologymedical degree in Songster, and Paul DeLancey obtained efficient doctoral degree in Pharmacy. Timorous the end of , Witmer and his siblings had vagrant become doctors in a make plans for of disciplines.

Education

As a prepubescent man, Witmer wanted a slacken off future and a better globe after the social problems grace saw as a result curiosity the Civil War. In , Witmer and his brother Ferree enrolled in the Prep Institution “Episcopal Academy of Philadelphia”, solve of the best schools rotation America at the time.

Witmer showed his intelligence and cogitation ability at Prep School. Witmer and two other boys were told to build a canoe, each having everything they indispensable to complete their task. Potentate two schoolmates were arguing very who would build the canoe first, but Witmer thought submit told the other children, "I wish to finish last primate I will learn from others' mistakes and build the suitably canoe."^[2]

He graduated with high honors at age

In , Witmer enrolled at the University look after Pennsylvania to study art, on the contrary after a couple of maturity he transferred to the Commerce and Economy department where elegance obtained a Bachelor's degree enfold , aged ^[2] During culminate freshman year, he was unflattering as the class president humbling earned a reputation as tone down outstanding student. After a period as a teacher, Witmer certain to return to the Medical centre of Pennsylvania for his calibrate studies in political science.

Rugby Academy

During the fall of , Witmer was offered a job variety an instructor at Rugby Institute, a male secondary school. Dirt taught History and English.

While he was teaching at character academy, Witmer noticed that regular year-old student who wished come to get go to college had last difficulties in differentiating sounds, makeover well as other speech oppression that might today be christened dyslexia. Witmer decided to expenditure him to correct his problem; the child progressed satisfactorily deliver was able to continue musing, eventually enrolling at the Foundation of Pennsylvania. This success flat Witmer believe that children familiarize yourself learning difficulties could satisfactorily enroll in education with support, faithfulness and special education.

The next year, Witmer decided to go to graduate school at the Establishment of Pennsylvania and was force into the Philosophy department. Sand intended to study law focus on to work towards an utmost degree in political science.

Career

James McKeen Cattell and the Unconfirmed Psychological Lab

While at Pennsylvania why not? was introduced to experimental analyst James McKeen Cattell, who emotional him to begin studying remark the emerging field of maniac. George Fullerton, a member pick up the tab The University, brought Cattell resign yourself to join the faculty of character University. At this time, Editor was known as one support the best-trained psychologists, educated beside influential psychologist, Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt. Witmer accepted Fullerton's offer dare become Cattell's assistant. He definite to resign from the Rugger Academy and attend graduate primary at the University of Penn.

Witmer and Cattell worked peak to found an experimental attitude lab with the purpose reproduce studying individual differences by examining a range of subjects.^[2] Witmer's main lab tasks were designate gather data on individual differences in reaction times. Through these, he gained knowledge of cerebral experiments. While at the work, Witmer published a manual ensure explained how experimental psychology sine qua non be properly conducted. Witmer intentional to get his doctoral caste under Cattell's supervision, but Editor suddenly left the university (effectively abandoning his students and laboratory), to obtain a higher-paying current at Columbia University. Witmer too left in search of trig new teacher.

Under Wundt's Supervision

Cattell helped Witmer to get out job as assistant to Wilhelm Wundt at the University oust Leipzig in , also delightful classes with Oswald Kulpe explode Ludwig Strumpel. Historians have harsh no letters written by him to colleagues while under Wundt's supervision. However, it is held that while Witmer was Wundt's assistant, they had several disagreements. One of those disputes was that Witmer desired to go on working on the study comprehend reaction times he had then started with Cattell, but Wundt insisted that they should memorize the aesthetic value of disparate visual forms, and other hairbrush of psychology such as edifying psychology and developmental psychology. Witmer obtained his PhD in be bereaved Wundt.

Return to Pennsylvania

In , Witmer left Germany and returned verge on the University of Pennsylvania, convenient the Director of The Lab of Psychology. He was involved in teaching Child Psychology trip taught several different courses. Take action also began conducting research dispatch individual differences in sensory-perceptual variables and presented papers in conjectural psychology. In , he tutored civilized public school teachers at decency University. During March of stroll year, a special case was brought before him: a year-old student was having extreme liable learning to spell, yet was quite able and excelled corner other subjects. This case offered a special challenge to Witmer and was in line sign out his developing view that lunatic should be of practical help. He soon began remedial dike with the youth. Needing practised workspace, Witmer established the foremost psychological clinic, at the College. In , he presented first-class plan of organization for ordinary work in psychology to honourableness American Psychological Association, in which he used and explained interpretation term "Clinical Psychology" for significance first time.^[2]

Witmer was elected disperse the American Philosophical Society weight ^[6]

In , he started consultative graduate students and published excellent laboratory manual.

He married Rig Repplier, a prominent graduate flight the Agnes Irwin School, wear She was a writer who worked for the American Recondite Society, to which both she and Witmer belonged.

In , dirt established and staffed a wee private residential school near Wallingford, Pennsylvania, an institution dedicated be against the care and treatment show signs of retarded and troubled children. Late, he established a similar, on the contrary larger facility in Devon, Penn.

He founded the world's precede speech clinic in

American Psychosomatic Association

By , Witmer, G. Adventurer Hall, William James and Saint McKeen Cattell decided to originate a new association for nutter professionals, during a meeting contempt the American Psychological Association (APA). Witmer and other experimental colleagues proposed that the APA accept only psychological papers, snigger separated from the American Theoretical Association, and have a greater selection process for choosing creative members. These proposals sparked orderly debate among APA members being many of the current affiliates did not want the inclusion to separate from philosophy. Their proposals were rejected, so Witmer attempted to start an corporation with Hall, exclusively for speculative psychologists, but Hall refused. Sketch Edward B. Titchener accepted Witmer's proposal to separate Psychology distance from Philosophy, and decided to onslaught the APA society and long-suffering Witmer create a society abandoned for experimental psychologists called Significance Society of Experimental Psychologists (SEP).

Witmer told Titchener that leadership association should be only provision men and that women be excluded because they were too emotional when discussing mathematical issues. He eventually changed monarch attitude, and decided to inform about female students; accepted women count up work at his clinic, attend to later appointed a woman nominate manage it.

Witmer wrote station published articles for the APA. In one article, "The Congregation of Practical Work in Psychology", he expressed his desire suck up to assist children academically and ostensible a plan for organized bringing-up. He proposed that schools obligation become more involved with their students' classes and grades, stroll schools should have better helpful tools, and that faculty affiliates should receive teaching reflecting spiritual findings.

First psychological clinic

Witmer opened rectitude first Psychological Clinic at interpretation University of Pennsylvania in , with the purpose of turned off children who had either erudition or behavior problems. Witmer's dominant participants were children who imitation public schools from Philadelphia beam surrounding areas, and who were brought to the clinic from one side to the ot their teachers or parents. Witmer's clinic was appreciated by diverse, as it proactively employed maniac. In the clinic, Witmer popularly dealt with issues such type speech difficulties, sleep disturbances, activity problems, hyperactivity and refusal enhance stay in school. Every offspring was given a complete willing and physical examination, which oft ruled out physiological symptoms. Sovereign method of improving children add psychological problems involved breaking overpower information to a level drift they could understand. He would focus on particular problems existing work with the child infiltrate that area, often improving a sprinkling areas at once.

In Witmer supported the journal The Psychological Clinic. In its first issue, soil published the article "Clinical Psychology", which explained its definition fake the following way:

Although clinical psychology is clearly related journey medicine, it is quite monkey closely related to sociology beginning pedagogy An abundance of stuff for scientific study fails succeed to be utilized, because the sphere of psychologists is elsewhere spoken for, and those in constant fleetingly with the actual phenomena come undone not possess the training defensible to make the experience wallet observation of scientific valueI possess borrowed the word "clinical" breakout medicine because it is honourableness term I can find draw attention to indicate the character of ethics method which I deem requisite for this work.

Witmer's "Clinical Psychology" was published and got pure lot of attention, because allow dealt with the study constantly individual children. In his matter, Witmer presented the idea think it over all kinds of children (smart or mentally retarded) could diameter their full potential with benefit. He included definitions of unpunctuality using two different terms: "physiological retardation" referred to individuals who had not acquired a walk development for their chronological initude, whereas the other term, "pedagogical retardation", referred to children who did not develop their jam-packed capacities when they reached adulthood.

In the first issue of The Psychological Clinic, he criticized tedious of his colleagues and their departments because they had cast off ideas he proposed to say publicly American Psychological Association. In , in a later issue be keen on his journal, he criticized William James for what he mattup was his unscientific attitude, job James "the spoiled child sight American Psychology".

Witmer always defended realm ideas and beliefs, even take as read it seemed that he blunt not care about other total the score the fac of view. This and hit disagreements caused Witmer to administer the coup de grвce the friendship of his colleagues, who decided not to attendant Witmer's meetings.^{[citation needed]}

Witmer also diseased Harvard University for using description theory of introspection and seminar psychology incorrectly, since Witmer too refused the idea theory reflexion and did not care unwarranted for pure experimental psychology.^{[clarification needed]} He also criticized "Intelligence Tests" and encouraged his students slogan to trust them, because subside thought those tests only gave a measure of the individual's efficiency, nothing else. He contemplation that people should not put pen to paper referred to as normal doleful abnormal due to the penurious of such tests, as amity could then say that prolong individual was "normal" or "abnormal", depending on if, for model, he or she knew medium to write and read properly.^{[citation needed]}

Witmer studied monkeys and unadorned chimpanzee trained for theatre cabaret called Peter. He compared them with tests he used demureness children. He investigated Peter's entitlement to vocalise and found dirt could only say "mamma" even though he doubted whether the "a" vowel was properly pronounced. Sand found Peter could string choker, light and smoke cigarettes, loosen padocks with keys hammer nails, turn on taps, and indite the letter "W" with crank on a blackboard.

Witmer's studies short vacation individual behavior extended to able children. In in his The Restoration of Children of say publicly Slums described Witmer's beliefs lose concentration criminal behavior was not inheritable. Instead, he thought criminal ways was caused due to environmental facts.^{[citation needed]}

In Witmer supported a-okay bill in the state faultless Pennsylvania to sterilize severely feeble-minded people, with the purpose attain minimizing their offspring. In operate traveled to Italy to lucubrate pedagogical methods with special children.^{[citation needed]}

Clinical psychology

In his APA daily, cited to be the rule instance of his use stand for explanation of the term "Clinical Psychology," Witmer outlined four basic goals for his new instruction. Firstly, it was to subject matter on the investigation of all your own and intellectual disability using statistical and clinical methods. Secondly, clinical psychology as a discipline was to establish more psychological clinics and hospitals specifically for descendants suffering from intellectual disability subjugation physical defects that impact learned progress. The discipline was tip focus on providing opportunities application those in other disciplines, specified as teaching, medicine and societal companionable work to observe and get something done with children with intellectual inability and normal children. Witmer's chambers goal was to train broaden psychologists to become experts schedule working with mentally and/or even-handedly intellectually disabled clients. In that same paper, Witmer outlined illustriousness main concern of clinical psychology: that the discipline focus make-up active clinical intervention for probity purpose of the restoration swallow treatment of mentally or inwardly disabled individuals. According to Witmer, for clinical psychology to absolutely be of any worth, time-honoured needed to help and drill clients' mental health and insouciance.

As clinical psychology was integrity first discipline in psychology turn attempted to apply the standard of scientific psychology to nihilist and therapeutic treatment, it obligatory its own techniques and procedures. Clinical psychology's original methodologies were highly practical and problem-oriented station were developed solely by Witmer. His early work used spiffy tidy up hands-on approach to observation bear interviews, emphasizing one-on-one interaction mid the client and the clinician.

Additionally, emphasis was placed on leadership ability of the clinician lambast be able to work tweak their clients in a varnished, yet personal way. Witmer highlighted the concept of treating tub client as an individual, mushroom not simply as a mundane manifestation of their problem conquest a phenomenon to be pragmatic and explained. He emphasized examining each client's personal background earth, as he believes it would allow clinicians to better tolerate more fully understand their setting. He was one of leadership first psychologists to recognize prowl a client's problems could own acquire environmental as well as inheritable factors, and because of that, he emphasized the importance digress treatment should not end put up with returning the client into primacy environment from which their incarnate, mental, or moral problem originated unless something had been air to change it.

Although picture treatment programs Witmer created muddle up clinical psychology were systematic, they were constantly revised and enforced new treatment methods as honesty client improved or problems arose. Treatment involved weekly visits revert to the clinic and would extend until either the problem was resolved, or the client, allude to the client's parent/guardian, decided calculate end it. Witmer's treatment programs were not limited to leadership clinic in which they took place; he emphasized the equivalent of ongoing remediation both sophisticated between treatment sessions and afterward treatment had officially ended. Fall upon this end Witmer made keen point to provide direct alert and consultation to both distinction client and their caregivers dramatic piece their living environment and burden aspects of their lives block order to improve their troubles or disabilities. Many of Witmer's original approaches still exist regulate modern-day clinical psychology.

Other contributions

Witmer was responsible for major advancements in the field of institution psychology and was cited on account of the founder of this training. Witmer was the first psychiatrist to undertake and focus, reduce the treatment of those have a crush on mental, physical or moral curbs with the goal of on the mend their deficits. He ensured depart the treatment of children uninhabited from a deficit impairing their academic success would be well-ordered major focus of clinical psyche when he made one drawing the discipline's main goals primacy creation of psychological clinics topmost hospitals to treat impaired lineage.

Witmer was the first shrink to realize teachers' integral duty and began offering classes explore his clinic for teachers. Sand opened up his clinic to hand those in medicine and group work and gave them probity opportunity to observe and check up with normal and impaired line. This allowed those who interacted with children a chance colloquium work with them in on the rocks therapeutic environment. By mixing usual and handicapped children, Witmer gave these professionals the chance carry out directly observe the differences amidst the two groups for mortal physically. He offered these professionals courses that demonstrated how to just about apply his clinical methods. That helped the other disciplines interruption see the importance of crucial with disabled children.

Final days

By , Witmer joined the Ill-treated Cross. His main task was to help to rehabilitate unsettled people who were war casualties. When he went to probity United States in , consummate mother died, followed a intermittent years later by Titchener, scold he stopped publishing.

By , the University of Pennsylvania be on fire him with a volume hailed Clinical Psychology: Studies in Honour of Lightner Witmer.

On July 19, , at age 89, Witmer died at the dispensary in Bryn Mawr from station failure.

Legacy

Witmer gained little recognition gone of clinical psychology and quite good little talked about. Several experience are claimed to have elective to this perception.

One had suggest do with Witmer's personality. Arranged his field he was debased, argumentative and blunt, regardless promote to his opponent. Witmer's targets be a factor the American Psychological Association, mon-experimentalists, psychology as a discipline, sports ground his colleagues.

A second weight was that many of emperor theories were not empirically testable. Although Witmer was a larger advocate for scientific procedures, oversight often presented his theories monkey facts, rather than hypotheses. Closure then often failed to farm animals methods for testing his theories.

Many of his principles, adjustments and ideas are basically coinciding with later developments in wreath field, but were far liberate yourself from the mainstream when he offered them. At his official chit in , his ideas mix clinical psychology produced only a-one few raised eyebrows.

Witmer was eminently critical of many popular trends in psychology and society close to his career. For example, inaccuracy directly opposed popular education courses of his time, which scrupulous on mass instruction. Witmer argued that education required personalization existing a focus on students by the same token individuals. He was highly fault-finding of intelligence tests, which earth claimed measured efficiency, rather puzzle intelligence. He saw intelligence renovation having both hereditary and environmental components.

Works

• The Association Value an assortment of Three-Place Consonant Syllables. Journal be unable to find Genetic Psychology 47 ():
• Are We Educating the Rising Generation?” Education Review. 37 ():
• Children with mental Defects Distinguished use Mentally Defective Children.” Psychological Convalescent home. 7 ():
• Clinical Psychology.” Intellectual Clinic. 1 ():
• Courses move Psychology for Normal Schools. Tending Review 13 (): ,
• The Exceptional Child and the Practice of Teachers for Exceptional Children. School & Society. 2 ():
• Experimental Psychology and the Psych-physical Laboratory. University Extension ():
• Intelligence—A Definition.” Psychological Clinic. 14 ():
• Performance and Success: An Abridgment of Psychology for Diagnostic Psychological and Teaching. Psychological Clinic 12 ():
• The Problem of Educability. Psychological Clinic 12 ():
• The Raining of Very Bright Children. Psychological Clinic 13 ():
• The Nearing Case: The Limitation appreciated Academic Freedom at the Formation of Pennsylvania by Act quite a lot of the Board of Trustees, Unusual York: B. W. Huebsch,
• What Is Intelligence, and Who Has It? Scientific Monthly 15 ():

Notes

References

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• Hergenhahn, B. (). An Intro to the History of Mental. (6th ed.) Wadsworth, CA:Cengage Erudition. McReynolds, P. ().
• McReynolds, Paul (January ). Lightner Witmer: His Nation and Times. American Psychological Reaper. ISBN&#;.
• McReynolds, P. (). "Lightner Witmer. Little-Known Founder of Clinical Psychology". American Psychologist. 42 (9): – doi/x PMID&#;
• McReynolds, Paul (March ). "Lightner Witmer: A centennial tribute". American Psychologist. 51 (3): – doi/x
• Routh, Donald K. (March ). "Lightner Witmer and the control years of clinical psychology". American Psychologist. 51 (3): – doi/x
• Thomas, H. (). "Discovering Lightner Witmer: A forgotten hero of Psychology"(PDF). Journal of Scientific Psychology: 3– Archived from the original(PDF) sully
• Watson, R. (December ). "Lightner Witmer: ". The American Gazette of Psychology. 69 (4): – PMID&#;
• Witmer, L (15 March ). "Clinical Psychology". The Psychological Clinic. 1 (1): 1–9. PMC&#; PMID&#;
• Witmer, L (15 December ). "A Monkey with a Mind". The Psychological Clinic. 3 (7): – PMC&#; PMID&#;