Hermann Helmholtz's Contribution To Psychology

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Philosophy and Physiology joined in an entangled romance of the mind to breed and nurture a new science called Psychology. Of the many pursuits and endeavors or Philosophers and Physiologists they probably did not intend to influence a new science in the way that they did. The beginning of psychology started with the debates of mind and body. Psychology was forming from the work of philosophers like Rene Descartes, and Physiologists like Hermann Helmholtz, and was developing its own prevalence in the world. For instance one very influential philosopher of the new psychology was Rene Descartes. Descartes took on the mind and body controversy. Descartes held that everything should be doubted until tested and proven. While Descartes did not …show more content…

One physiologist that contributed to psychology was Hermann Helmholtz. Helmholtz believed the deductive method and the strength at which results were defended were not stable, or reliable. Helmholtz, along with fellow colleagues called for a change in the way research was done (Jurkowitz, 2010). Helmholtz made many advances in physiology developing tools to aid the medical community. Of his many contributions to society his contributions to psychology were game changers. Helmholtz compared the mind to the function of a machine and believed that it was possible to scientifically test its functions. Helmholtz was able to successfully determine a way to accurately test the rate of a neural impulse. His results determined that the thought and movement happened separate from each other and it can be measured. With this advancement he was able to disprove that a nerve impulse was simultaneous and too fast to measure (Schultz & Schultz, 2012). This opened the door for the experimental nature of many concepts previously thought to be impossible. Now that there was an empirical value that could be applied to the mind and the body a new science was preparing to be formed. All it needed were motivated individuals willing to dedicate the time to perfect and analyze the scientific nature of the human …show more content…

From machines to minds, and reality to consciousness, the thoughts and research combined, progressed, and contributed to the coming field. Descartes separated the mind and the body. Helmholtz applied his empirical views and theories of machine comparison to test and prove measurements of neural sensors. Wundt and Thitchener dove into the measurements of sensory and physical stimuli to break the consciousness into elements. Darwin and Galton turned attention to evolution, the necessity of adaption and survival of the fittest. William James and his colleagues changed the direction of research on the consciousness to relate to how it adapts and continually flows. Like a family tree, psychology has its roots in philosophy and physiology and its branches have spanned the lengths of many schools, uses, and theories. A family tree that can continue to grow and nurture new ideas and research due to the roots so firmly planted in the soil of its

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