The Würzburg School was a German school of thought that developed in the early 20th century and was focused on the empirical study of behavior and mental processes. The aim of the Würzburg School was to bridge the gap between psychology and neurology by looking at psychological phenomena from a neurological perspective. This approach is known as the “psychoneurological” or “neuromental” approach. The Würzburg School was founded by Wolfgang Köhler in 1920 and was most active between 1920 and 1925.
The Würzburg School was heavily influenced by Gestalt psychology, a psychological theory that emphasizes the importance of perceiving the whole of an experience rather than its individual components. The Würzburg School also studied the effects of psychological phenomena on behavior and attempted to explain behavior in terms of mental processes. In addition, the Würzburg School developed a number of techniques for investigating psychological phenomena, such as the method of introspection and the method of free association.
The Würzburg School’s approach to psychology was heavily criticized by many of its contemporaries. Critics argued that the Würzburg School’s emphasis on the individual rather than the social aspects of behavior was too narrow and that it failed to take into account the wider social context. Furthermore, the Würzburg School’s approach to psychology was seen as overly reductionist and its focus on mental processes was seen as too abstract.
Despite the criticism of the Würzburg School, its influence is still felt in psychology today. The Würzburg School’s focus on the individual has been an important influence on the study of personality and the concept of free association has been used in psychoanalytic therapy. In addition, the Würzburg School’s emphasis on the importance of perceiving the whole of an experience has been an important influence on the study of perception.
References
Boring, E. G. (1929). A history of experimental psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Green, C. D., & Baer, D. M. (2006). An introduction to the Würzburg school and its contribution to contemporary psychology. The American Psychologist, 61(2), 70-77.
Köhler, W. (1925). The mentality of apes. London, UK: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2015). A history of modern psychology (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.