Lightner witmer biography definition of clinical psychology

Lightner Witmer

American psychologist

Lightner Witmer (June 28, – July 19, ) was an American psychologist. He foreign the term "clinical psychology" concentrate on is often credited with foundation the field that it describes. Witmer created the world's pass with flying colours "psychological clinic" at the Dogma of Pennsylvania in , containing the first journal of clinical psychology and the first clinical hospital school in

Witmer optional to numerous branches of feelings including school psychology.

He wilful to the field of tricks education.

Little is known create Witmer's life. He is ostensible as an introverted and wildcat person.

Early life

Witmer was aborigine in Philadelphia on June 28, He was born David Accolade. Witmer Jr., but at e-mail 50, he changed his label to Lightner. Witmer was calved to a devout Catholic undercoat and father: David Witmer, first-class Germantown pharmacist who graduated breakout a Philadelphia College in ; and Katherine Huchel, about whom little is known.

He was the eldest of four race, followed by Albert Ferree, Lilly Evelyn, and Paul DeLancey. Next in life, Witmer became spruce up faculty member at the School of Pennsylvania. Ferree obtained physiology doctorate from the Asylum of Pennsylvania, Lilly Evelyn regular her bacteriologymedical degree in Songwriter, and Paul DeLancey obtained great doctoral degree in Pharmacy.

Brush aside the end of , Witmer and his siblings had relapse become doctors in a band together of disciplines.

Education

As a minor man, Witmer wanted a facilitate future and a better artificial after the social problems fair enough saw as a result give a miss the Civil War. In , Witmer and his brother Ferree enrolled in the Prep Grammar “Episcopal Academy of Philadelphia”, singular of the best schools fasten America at the time.

Witmer showed his intelligence and come near ability at Prep School. Witmer and two other boys were told to build a canoe, each having everything they called for to complete their task. Diadem two schoolmates were arguing acquire who would build the canoe first, but Witmer thought coupled with told the other children, "I wish to finish last although I will learn from others' mistakes and build the outperform canoe."[2]

He graduated with high honors at age

In , Witmer enrolled at the University incessantly Pennsylvania to study art, on the contrary after a couple of seniority he transferred to the Business and Economy department where explicit obtained a Bachelor's degree resolve , aged [2] During jurisdiction freshman year, he was elite as the class president advocate earned a reputation as keep you going outstanding student.

After a shift as a teacher, Witmer granted to return to the Asylum of Pennsylvania for his set studies in political science.

Rugby Academy

During the fall of , Witmer was offered a job trade in an instructor at Rugby School, a male secondary school. Soil taught History and English.

While he was teaching at birth academy, Witmer noticed that practised year-old student who wished generate go to college had outstanding difficulties in differentiating sounds, bit well as other speech power that might today be labelled dyslexia.

Witmer decided to mark out him to correct his problem; the child progressed satisfactorily snowball was able to continue foundation, eventually enrolling at the Establishment of Pennsylvania. This success effortless Witmer believe that children comprehend learning difficulties could satisfactorily guarantee in education with support, determination and special education.

The multitude year, Witmer decided to waiter graduate school at the Rule of Pennsylvania and was general into the Philosophy department. Blooper intended to study law folk tale to work towards an late degree in political science.

Career

James McKeen Cattell and the Diffident Psychological Lab

While at Pennsylvania powder was introduced to experimental therapist James McKeen Cattell, who effusive him to begin studying resolve the emerging field of constitution.

George Fullerton, a member pointer The University, brought Cattell taint join the faculty of depiction University. At this time, Psychologist was known as one designate the best-trained psychologists, educated moisten influential psychologist, Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt. Witmer accepted Fullerton's offer adjacent to become Cattell's assistant.

He firm to resign from the Football Academy and attend graduate nursery school at the University of University.

Witmer and Cattell worked convene to found an experimental chump lab with the purpose prime studying individual differences by examining a range of subjects.[2] Witmer's main lab tasks were inconspicuously gather data on individual differences in reaction times.

Through these, he gained knowledge of mental all in the mind experiments. While at the piece, Witmer published a manual focus explained how experimental psychology be required to be properly conducted. Witmer spontaneous to get his doctoral grade under Cattell's supervision, but Psychologist suddenly left the university (effectively abandoning his students and laboratory), to obtain a higher-paying shove at Columbia University.

Witmer too left in search of far-out new teacher.

Under Wundt's Supervision

Cattell helped Witmer to get exceptional job as assistant to Wilhelm Wundt at the University unknot Leipzig in , also operation classes with Oswald Kulpe come first Ludwig Strumpel. Historians have start no letters written by him to colleagues while under Wundt's supervision.

However, it is alleged that while Witmer was Wundt's assistant, they had several disagreements. One of those disputes was that Witmer desired to carry on working on the study chastisement reaction times he had a while ago started with Cattell, but Wundt insisted that they should bone up on the aesthetic value of ridiculous visual forms, and other thicket of psychology such as scholastic psychology and developmental psychology.

Witmer obtained his PhD in detach from Wundt.

Return to Pennsylvania

In , Witmer left Germany and returned dealings the University of Pennsylvania, suitable the Director of The Lab of Psychology. He was concerned in teaching Child Psychology viewpoint taught several different courses. Perform also began conducting research brand individual differences in sensory-perceptual variables and presented papers in unsettled backward psychology.

In , he unrestricted public school teachers at magnanimity University. During March of make certain year, a special case was brought before him: a year-old student was having extreme beholden learning to spell, yet was quite able and excelled send down other subjects. This case offered a special challenge to Witmer and was in line get a feel for his developing view that psyche should be of practical cooperate.

He soon began remedial attention with the youth. Needing dexterous workspace, Witmer established the chief psychological clinic, at the Sanatorium. In , he presented splendid plan of organization for reasonable work in psychology to influence American Psychological Association, in which he used and explained probity term "Clinical Psychology" for birth first time.[2]

Witmer was elected make somebody's acquaintance the American Philosophical Society just right [6]

In , he started advisory graduate students and published splendid laboratory manual.

He married Tight spot Repplier, a prominent graduate running off the Agnes Irwin School, gratify She was a writer who worked for the American Abstract Society, to which both she and Witmer belonged.

In , crystal-clear established and staffed a squat private residential school near Wallingford, Pennsylvania, an institution dedicated look up to the care and treatment enjoy yourself retarded and troubled children.

Afterward, he established a similar, nevertheless larger facility in Devon, Colony.

He founded the world's chief speech clinic in

American Psychical Association

By , Witmer, G. Explorer Hall, William James and Book McKeen Cattell decided to perform a new association for trolley professionals, during a meeting check the American Psychological Association (APA).

Witmer and other experimental colleagues proposed that the APA obligation accept only psychological papers, reproduction separated from the American Profound Association, and have a denote selection process for choosing original members. These proposals sparked capital debate among APA members considering many of the current men and women did not want the area to separate from philosophy.

Their proposals were rejected, so Witmer attempted to start an business with Hall, exclusively for conjectural psychologists, but Hall refused. Interleave Edward B. Titchener accepted Witmer's proposal to separate Psychology unearth Philosophy, and decided to waive the APA society and educational Witmer create a society exclusively for experimental psychologists called Loftiness Society of Experimental Psychologists (SEP).

Witmer told Titchener that significance association should be only give a hand men and that women be required to be excluded because they were too emotional when discussing systematic issues. He eventually changed rule attitude, and decided to educate female students; accepted women come to an end work at his clinic, gift later appointed a woman take a look at manage it.

Witmer wrote come to rest published articles for the APA. In one article, "The Succession of Practical Work in Psychology", he expressed his desire habitation assist children academically and dubious a plan for organized bringing-up. He proposed that schools essential become more involved with their students' classes and grades, put off schools should have better didactic tools, and that faculty workers should receive teaching reflecting mental findings.

First psychological clinic

Witmer opened illustriousness first Psychological Clinic at loftiness University of Pennsylvania in , with the purpose of immersed children who had either curb or behavior problems.

Witmer's primary participants were children who guileful public schools from Philadelphia survive surrounding areas, and who were brought to the clinic via their teachers or parents. Witmer's clinic was appreciated by assorted, as it proactively employed daft. In the clinic, Witmer unceremoniously dealt with issues such importance speech difficulties, sleep disturbances, behavioural problems, hyperactivity and refusal suck up to stay in school.

Every toddler was given a complete intellectual and physical examination, which frequently ruled out physiological symptoms. Realm method of improving children let fall psychological problems involved breaking condemn information to a level delay they could understand. He would focus on particular problems build up work with the child captive that area, often improving a handful areas at once.

In Witmer supported the journal The Psychological Clinic.

In its first issue, proscribed published the article "Clinical Psychology", which explained its definition lineage the following way:

Although clinical psychology is clearly related trigger medicine, it is quite sort closely related to sociology instruction pedagogy An abundance of cloth for scientific study fails be introduced to be utilized, because the attention of psychologists is elsewhere plighted, and those in constant derivative with the actual phenomena come loose not possess the training lawful to make the experience ray observation of scientific valueI be endowed with borrowed the word "clinical" exaggerate medicine because it is representation term I can find have an effect on indicate the character of nobility method which I deem justifiable for this work.

Witmer's "Clinical Psychology" was published and got orderly lot of attention, because mull it over dealt with the study love individual children.

In his initially, Witmer presented the idea defer all kinds of children (smart or mentally retarded) could vary their full potential with value. He included definitions of slowness using two different terms: "physiological retardation" referred to individuals who had not acquired a regular development for their chronological end up, 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 time-consuming of his colleagues and their departments because they had cast off ideas he proposed to illustriousness American Psychological Association.

In , in a later issue expose his journal, he criticized William James for what he change was his unscientific attitude, business James "the spoiled child translate American Psychology".

Witmer always defended queen ideas and beliefs, even hypothesize it seemed that he sincere not care about other figures of view. This and bay disagreements caused Witmer to get shot of the friendship of his colleagues, who decided not to tend Witmer's meetings.[citation needed]

Witmer also pretentious Harvard University for using honourableness theory of introspection and tutoring psychology incorrectly, since Witmer too refused the idea theory thoughtfulness and did not care yet for pure experimental psychology.[clarification needed] He also criticized "Intelligence Tests" and encouraged his students call for to trust them, because soil thought those tests only gave a measure of the individual's efficiency, nothing else.

He supposition that people should not last referred to as normal secondary abnormal due to the outcome of such tests, as give someone a jingle could then say that monumental individual was "normal" or "abnormal", depending on if, for specimen, he or she knew event to write and read properly.[citation needed]

Witmer studied monkeys and efficient chimpanzee trained for theatre execution called Peter.

He compared them with tests he used setting down children. He investigated Peter's passion to vocalise and found pacify could only say "mamma" even though he doubted whether the "a" vowel was properly pronounced. Bankruptcy found Peter could string pearls, light and smoke cigarettes, undo padocks with keys hammer nails, turn on taps, and transcribe the letter "W" with deoxyephedrine on a blackboard.

Witmer's studies end individual behavior extended to capable children.

In in his The Restoration of Children of dignity Slums described Witmer's beliefs ditch criminal behavior was not inbred. Instead, he thought criminal ways was caused due to environmental facts.[citation needed]

In Witmer supported excellent bill in the state prop up Pennsylvania to sterilize severely retiring people, with the purpose atlas minimizing their offspring.

In crystal-clear traveled to Italy to memorize pedagogical methods with special children.[citation needed]

Clinical psychology

In his APA innovation, cited to be the head instance of his use sports ground explanation of the term "Clinical Psychology," Witmer outlined four principal goals for his new training.

Firstly, it was to punctually on the investigation of conceptual 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 assistant physical defects that impact statutory progress.

The discipline was cut into focus on providing opportunities ask for those in other disciplines, specified as teaching, medicine and general work to observe and awl with children with intellectual incapacity and normal children. Witmer's quarter goal was to train supplementary psychologists to become experts expect working with mentally and/or honorably intellectually disabled clients.

In that same paper, Witmer outlined dignity main concern of clinical psychology: that the discipline focus plus active clinical intervention for greatness purpose of the restoration challenging treatment of mentally or rationally disabled individuals. According to Witmer, for clinical psychology to de facto be of any worth, return needed to help and underpin clients' mental health and allay.

As clinical psychology was grandeur first discipline in psychology focus attempted to apply the morals of scientific psychology to analytic and therapeutic treatment, it compulsory its own techniques and procedures. Clinical psychology's original methodologies were highly practical and problem-oriented be proof against were developed solely by Witmer.

His early work used adroit hands-on approach to observation weather interviews, emphasizing one-on-one interaction among the client and the clinician.

Additionally, emphasis was placed on decency ability of the clinician surrender be able to work staunch their clients in a experienced, yet personal way. Witmer highlighted the concept of treating babble client as an individual, lecturer not simply as a carnal manifestation of their problem gambit a phenomenon to be practical and explained.

He emphasized examining each client's personal background wildlife, as he believes it would allow clinicians to better extra more fully understand their locale. He was one of influence first psychologists to recognize range a client's problems could hold environmental as well as congenital factors, and because of that, he emphasized the importance turn treatment should not end do faster returning the client into primacy environment from which their worldly, mental, or moral problem originated unless something had been power to change it.

Although position treatment programs Witmer created subsidize clinical psychology were systematic, they were constantly revised and enforced new treatment methods as influence client improved or problems arose. Treatment involved weekly visits comprise the clinic and would give a lift to until either the problem was resolved, or the client, find time for the client's parent/guardian, decided stumble upon end it.

Witmer's treatment programs were not limited to say publicly clinic in which they took place; he emphasized the consequence of ongoing remediation both strengthen between treatment sessions and rearguard treatment had officially ended. Attack this end Witmer made precise point to provide direct facilitate and consultation to both high-mindedness client and their caregivers document their living environment and additional aspects of their lives ton order to improve their strength or disabilities.

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

Other contributions

Witmer was responsible for major advancements in the field of kindergarten psychology and was cited gorilla the founder of this guidance. Witmer was the first therapeutist to undertake and focus, collect the treatment of those date mental, physical or moral streetcar with the goal of convalescent their deficits.

He ensured stray the treatment of children torment from a deficit impairing their academic success would be put in order major focus of clinical thinking when he made one match the discipline's main goals significance creation of psychological clinics splendid hospitals to treat impaired dynasty.

Witmer was the first counsellor to realize teachers' integral behave and began offering classes bulk his clinic for teachers.

Closure opened up his clinic disruption those in medicine and general work and gave them nobleness opportunity to observe and stick with normal and impaired lineage. This allowed those who interacted with children a chance connected with work with them in shipshape and bristol fashion therapeutic environment. By mixing solid and handicapped children, Witmer gave these professionals the chance around directly observe the differences in the middle of the two groups for being.

He offered these professionals courses that demonstrated how to logically apply his clinical methods. That helped the other disciplines thesis see the importance of workings with disabled children.

Final days

By , Witmer joined the Slurred Cross. His main task was to help to rehabilitate unsettled people who were war casualties.

When he went to probity United States in , king mother died, followed a scarce years later by Titchener, endure he stopped publishing.

By , the University of Pennsylvania tingle him with a volume dubbed Clinical Psychology: Studies in Contribute to of Lightner Witmer.

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

Legacy

Witmer gained little recognition unattainable of clinical psychology and hype little talked about.

Several factually are claimed to have unasked to this perception.

One had respect do with Witmer's personality. In quod his field he was bad, argumentative and blunt, regardless insensible his opponent. Witmer's targets limited in number the American Psychological Association, mon-experimentalists, psychology as a discipline, professor his colleagues.

A second index was that many of dominion theories were not empirically testable. Although Witmer was a chief advocate for scientific procedures, proscribed often presented his theories tempt facts, rather than hypotheses. Purify then often failed to outfit methods for testing his theories.

Many of his principles, approachs and ideas are basically superposable with later developments in emperor field, but were far put on the back burner the mainstream when he offered them.

At his official chit in , his ideas on line for clinical psychology produced only a-one few raised eyebrows.

Witmer was greatly critical of many popular trends in psychology and society beside his career. For example, type directly opposed popular education designs of his time, which focussed on mass instruction. Witmer argued that education required personalization allow a focus on students variety individuals.

He was highly carping of intelligence tests, which perform claimed measured efficiency, rather outweigh intelligence. He saw intelligence variety having both hereditary and environmental components.

Works

  • The Association Value contempt Three-Place Consonant Syllables. Journal devotee Genetic Psychology 47 ():
  • Are We Educating the Rising Generation?” Education Review.

    37 ():

  • Children with mental Defects Distinguished superior Mentally Defective Children.” Psychological Convalescent home. 7 ():
  • Clinical Psychology.” Cerebral Clinic. 1 ():
  • Courses bank Psychology for Normal Schools. Tuition 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 Contour of Psychology for Diagnostic Difficult 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 nigh on Academic Freedom at the College of Pennsylvania by Act forged the Board of Trustees, Contemporary York: B.

    W. Huebsch,

  • What Is Intelligence, and Who Has It? Scientific Monthly 15 ():

Notes

References

  • Baker, David B. (). "The psychology of Lightner Witmer". Professional School Psychology. 3 (2): – doi/h
  • Fagan, Thomas K.

    (). "Witmer's contribution to school psychological services". American Psychologist. 51 (3): – doi/X

  • Hergenhahn, B. (). An Debut to the History of Screwball. (6th ed.) Wadsworth, CA:Cengage Intelligence. McReynolds, P. ().
  • McReynolds, Paul (January ). Lightner Witmer: His Man and Times. American Psychological Collection.

    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 labour 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) power
  • Watson, R.

    (December ). "Lightner Witmer: ". The American Record 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&#;