Deborah Coon Summary
In this article Deborah J. Coon discusses the difficulties psychologists faced during the period of spiritualism and psychic research. The article discusses the battles psychologists held against spiritualism and psychic research in attempt to legitimize psychology as a science. By the end of19th century the field of psychology started following patterns of other sciences such as establishing journals, setting up laboratories etc. Through this, new psychologists were hoping that study of the mind could be in equal position with more established sciences. However, psychology’s association with spiritualism and psychic research was a hindrance in achieving the status psychologists were hoping for. At this time, although public interest was needed
for psychology to advance, the mystical phenomenon associated with public interest was not helping psychology to be viewed as a science. Nevertheless, because psychic research had such public interest at the time and because psychology was a field still trying to be established, many scientific psychologists ended up conducting psychic research since psychology couldn't afford to lose public interest (and the money associated with it) at the time. Also, by conducting such research they could provide a reason why people could possibly believe in such phenomena and move on to studying other topics that they thought were important to study. At the end of their studies, they concluded that such beliefs come from the desire to talk to loved ones and limits of senses. By providing alternative explanations for such beliefs, psychologists painted themselves as those who would reserve the scientific worldview by exposing and correcting wrong thinking, superstition, and credulity.
This was an interesting read. I think studying spiritualism and psychic phenomena to rule it out was a good move from the psychologists especially since they wanted to be seen more scientific. It seems more scientific to dismiss something after studying it. Though it helped with the status, I don’t think spiritualism and psychic research were the only hindrances for psychology to be considered a science. I say so since there are still people and other scientists who doesn't consider psychology as a science. This could be because of how certain topics in psychological research are hard to clearly define. Such topics can have different meanings for different people, culture, groups etc. So, although the new psychologists’ attempt at making psychology a science helped, I am not sure how much their wish for psychology to be seen in equal footing with other sciences came true, since other sciences are still separated from psychology with the label “soft” science.
for psychology to advance, the mystical phenomenon associated with public interest was not helping psychology to be viewed as a science. Nevertheless, because psychic research had such public interest at the time and because psychology was a field still trying to be established, many scientific psychologists ended up conducting psychic research since psychology couldn't afford to lose public interest (and the money associated with it) at the time. Also, by conducting such research they could provide a reason why people could possibly believe in such phenomena and move on to studying other topics that they thought were important to study. At the end of their studies, they concluded that such beliefs come from the desire to talk to loved ones and limits of senses. By providing alternative explanations for such beliefs, psychologists painted themselves as those who would reserve the scientific worldview by exposing and correcting wrong thinking, superstition, and credulity.
This was an interesting read. I think studying spiritualism and psychic phenomena to rule it out was a good move from the psychologists especially since they wanted to be seen more scientific. It seems more scientific to dismiss something after studying it. Though it helped with the status, I don’t think spiritualism and psychic research were the only hindrances for psychology to be considered a science. I say so since there are still people and other scientists who doesn't consider psychology as a science. This could be because of how certain topics in psychological research are hard to clearly define. Such topics can have different meanings for different people, culture, groups etc. So, although the new psychologists’ attempt at making psychology a science helped, I am not sure how much their wish for psychology to be seen in equal footing with other sciences came true, since other sciences are still separated from psychology with the label “soft” science.