What is a great idea?

What is a "great idea," and what is not? What criteria should guide psychological investigation? What are some of the ideas suggested as "great" in the history of psychology? What is the role of theory? What is the role of experimentation? Should psychology aspire to improve the world in which we live, or does that compromise scientific objectivity?

Epstein, R. (2005, Jan/Feb). The loose screw awards. Psychology Today, 38, 55-60. (This article describes the "10 worst" ideas ; what makes them bad? Do you agree that they are bad ideas?)

• http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-20050119-000004.xml&print=1

Boneau, C. A. (1990). Psychological literacy: A first approximation. American Psychologist, 45, 891-900.

Characterization of Quack Theories (by Russell Turpin)

• http://quasar.as.utexas.edu/BillInfo/Quack.html

History of Psychology: A TimeLine of psychological ideas (by Marcos Emanoel Pereira, in Brazil):

• www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi6061/en_linha.htm

Abramson, C., & Page, M.: "Women in Psychology" website at Oklahoma State University

• http://psychology.okstate.edu/museum/women/cover2.html

Allport, G. W. (1940). The psychologist's frame of reference. Psychological Bulletin, 37, 1-28.

• http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Allport/frame.htm

Blumenthal, A. L. (1998). Why study Wundtian psychology? In R. W. Rieber & K. Salzinger (Eds.). Psychology: Theoretical-historical perspectives (2nd ed., pp. 77-87). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Blumenthal, A. L. (2002). A reappraisal of Wilhelm Wundt. In W. E. Pickren (Ed.). Evolving perspectives on the history of psychology (pp. 65-78). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Boeree's history of psychology timelines

• http://www.ship.edu/%7Ecgboeree/1800s.html
• http://www.ship.edu/%7Ecgboeree/1900s.html

Cronbach, L. J. (1957). The two disciplines of scientific psychology. American Psychologist, 12, 671-684.

• http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Cronbach/Disciplines/

Cronbach, L. J., & Meehl, P. E. (1955). Construct validity in psychological tests. Psychological Bulletin, 52, 281-302.

• http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Cronbach/construct.htm

Curti, M. (2003). Psychological theories in American thought. In The Dictionary of the History of Ideas, electronic text maintained by The Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia Library.

• http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv4-03

Guthrie, E. R. (1946). Psychological facts and psychological theory. Psychological Bulletin, 43, 1-20.

• http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Guthrie/

History of Psychology: Contemporary Foundations. [An interactive website on the Discovering Psychology site. Note that many online videos on various topics in psychology are also available from this site. These half-hour videos are hosted by Phil Zimbardo, and you may have seen the VCR versions in some classes, especially Introduction to Psychology.]

• http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/history/index.html

Kendler, H. H. (2003). Political goals versus scientific truths: A response to Jackson (2003). History of Psychology, 6, 203-207.

Kőhler, W. (1959). Gestalt psychology today. American Psychologist, 14, 727-734. Reprinted in E. R. Hilgard (Ed.), American psychology in historical perspective (pp. 251-263). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Leahey, T. (1992). The mythical revolutions of American psychology. American Psychologist, 47, 308-318. Reprinted in J. M. Notterman (Ed.), The evolution of psychology: Fifty years of the American Psychologist (pp. 242-266). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Leary, D. E. (2003). A profound and radical change: How William James inspired the reshaping of American psychology. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.). Anatomy of impact: What makes the great works of psychology great (pp. 19-42). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Long, A. A. (2003). Psychological ideas in antiquity. In The Dictionary of the History of Ideas, electronic text maintained by The Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia Library.

• http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv4-01

Morawski, J. G. (2002). Assessing psychology's moral heritage through our neglected utopias. In W. E. Pickren (Ed.). Evolving perspectives on the history of psychology (pp. 499-525). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Mueller, F. L. (2003). Psychological schools in American thought. In The Dictionary of the History of Ideas, electronic text maintained by The Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia Library.

• http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv4-02

Schmit, D. (2005). Re-visioning antebellum American psychology: The dissemination of mesmerism, 1836-1854. History of Psychology, 8, 403-434.

Social Psychology Network's page "Links on the History of Psychology"

• http://www.socialpsychology.org/history.htm

Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.). (2003). The anatomy of impact: What makes the great works of psychology great. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Sturm, T., & Ash, M. G. (2005). Roles of instruments in psychological research. History of Psychology, 8, 3-34.

Turpin, R. "Characterization of quack theories" (web page)

• http://quasar.as.utexas.edu/BillInfo/Quack.html

University of Dayton's website on the History of Psychology

• http://elvers.stjoe.udayton.edu/history/welcome.htm

van Wyhe, J.: "Phrenology: An overview"

• http://www.victorianweb.org/science/phrenology/phrenologyov.html