General Psychology Classic Reprint PDF Download

Excerpt from An Introduction to General Psychology The chief motives for the writing of the present book were two. The first of these was to supply a general elementary text-book which would meet the demands of the average student beginner a little more adequately than has been done hitherto. After ten years' experience in teaching a first course in Psychology, I have become convinced that the mode of attack usually followed fails to supply the student with the sort of introduction into the science of mind that will enable him, on the one hand, to connect his Psychology with every day life, and, on the other hand, to apprehend the bearings of this science upon Philosophy, Education, Sociology and Biology. It has been my experience that so much time was consumed in the study of the nervous system, and of the experimental data of sensation and percep tion, that in a brief course no adequate considera tion could be given to mind as a whole, and to the important topics of personality and character. To introduce a student to the study of Psychology is one thing, and no doubt the detailed study of psychophysiological data, with their appropriate laboratory exercises, is a most satisfactory means to this end. But the function of Psychology in an undergraduate college course is another thing, and is not purely departmental. The average student does not go beyond the first brief course. He does, however, frequently elect further work in Philosophy and Education, Sociology and Biol ogy. In coming to these subjects he should bring with him psychological conceptions of a general sort that will be useful to him. It is the consciousness of this need which has supplied the first motive for this book. How well I may have succeeded, it is beyond me to say. Many defects will doubtless be apparent to the critical reader. I can only hope that they may not prove serious enough to invalidate the purpose which I have had in view. The question was continually pressing in the treatment of each topic: How much and how little should be said? In my endeavor to keep the book within such limits as would make it practicable to cover the ground completely in a one-term course. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.