motions of atoms in the nervous system and brain, reacting to motions of atoms in the external world. He was the first to explain how sense impressions are transformed into higher mental processes. He was also the first modern associationist; he referred to a train of ideas, rather than associations (Hunt, 1993).
During the nineteenth century, European universities produced research laboratories in a number of sciences. Psychology entered this network in 1875 when Wilhelm Wundt, was asked to chair (in philosophy) at the University of Leipzig. Wundt has been singled out as the founding father of psychology; he established both the subject and method of scientific psychology. During his tenure, Wundt attracted at least 186 doctoral candidates; he advocated experimental psychology. He attempted to discover the basic elements that make up the mind and become familiar with their attributes. Primary contributors to American psychology were often educated in conjunction with Wundt's laboratory in Germany; they pursued academic careers with traditional experimental psychology and later developed applied interests (Fagan & Vanden, 1994; Popplestone & McPherson, 1994; Schultz & Schultz, 1992).
Contextual forces influencing the development of psychology in the United States include, social, economic, and political. During the early part of the twentieth century, American psychology changed from research in the laboratory, to the application of knowledge to real-world problems. Economic opportunities contributed to this change; psychologists needed to earn a living. The number of psychologists competing for jobs in existing laboratories resulted in the search for additional opportunities. Psychology needed to prove its practical worth with its application to social, educational, and industrial problems (Schultz & Schultz, 1992).
Social forces sweeping the United States, included an influx of immigrants; public education bec...