xiv Foreword
in the many topic areas into which contemporary psychology
may be compartmentalized. And this new account of an old
program is broadened by the recognition that modern psy-
chology acknowledges that it is an applied technology as well
as an academic, “scientific” discipline, in which the preserva-
tion and acquisition of knowledge about the subject matter is
an end in itself.
History of Psychologyis intended to be graduate-level text
or even appropriate at an advanced undergraduate level. It
may also serve as a resource for those seeking a historical
overview of a number of the scientific and professional areas
in the vast field of psychology.
The editor of History of Psychology has defined the field
by specifying that each chapter can be seen as a distinct, iden-
tifiable, quasi-independent area of knowledge or advocacy.
Each topic may well have separate societies or interest
groups, with newsletters, prizes, officers, journals, and so
forth—the usual structures that manage to define the bound-
aries and content of an area.
This greater summary of the history-of-psychology-
in-our-times begins with two chapters that define the
current field and its discontents: psychology-as-a-science and
psychology-as-a-profession. Then, in media resthe content
of psychology is presented in the early chapters, which echo
the classical topics, as in the headings of every introductory
textbook. Following are a reflection more of contemporary
psychology-as-application than as content areas. There is
overlap, of course, since no area of application is without its
support in content. In the later chapters, the shift is from ap-
plication in the public good to the problems of the profes-
sional psychologist and international developments. Finally
the last chapter on professional organizations is a description
of the field of psychology from the inside, as issues of affili-
ation and identification are described.
It is apparent to the editor and the authors, that the division
of pure versus applied, academic versus guild, and so forth
break down, and that psychologists work both in an area of
investigation and one of application. The selection of topics
has been guided by both classical and innovative standards.
While the chapters dealing with substantive psychological
topics (theoretical and empirical) are familiar selections, it
is the two introductory chapters and latter ones that are inno-
vative and reflect the new world of psychology, in contrast to
that shown in older histories (Boring, Murphy, etc.) or the
whole-of-psychology handbooks.
The selection of authors and their instructions in proceed-
ing with their tasks are also innovative and worth noticing.
Several of the authors are universally recognized as noted
scientists and have been leaders in their respective fields for
years. But a number are young and drawn from the pool of
new historians by choice. Many psychologists are unaware
that there is a whole cohort of (mostly young) psychologists
whose involvement in the history of psychology is not just a
hobby or peripheral interest. These people are committed to
psychology as their major discipline but are also fully
committed to the study and writing of good histories of psy-
chology. The era when history was taught by the oldest or
youngest member of the department by default is long
past, and now there is a cadre of skilled, sophisticated schol-
ars who are committed to creating a quality history of
psychology.
When the authors were selected and had accepted the in-
vitation to contribute, they were given a great deal of freedom
to write a history of their topical area in their own manner,
organization, and time scheme, but they were all requested
that after being given freedom to organize, emphasize, and
structure their subject matter they were also requested to ad-
here to a similar length and style and to serve more recent
(twentieth century) content as well as more remote temporal
themes.
In other words, the editor asked the authors to be obser-
vant of a minimum number of restrictions (designed to make
the volume and the reader’s task easier) while at the same
time allowing the authors the intellectual freedom to deal
with their subject matter as they wished. To these ends the au-
thors have striven to present a text which may well serve as a
milestone in the continuing quest to document our growing
and diverse field of psychology.JOHNA. POPPLESTONE
Director Emeritus
Archives of the History of American PsychologyREFERENCEPopplestone, J. A., & McPherson, M. W. (1988). Dictionary of con-
cepts in general psychology. New York: Greenwood.