Robert S. Woodworth (1869-1962) was an American psychologist who laid the foundations of eclectic-focused psychology. Throughout his career, Woordworth was interested in developing a unified theory of psychology based on scientific observations and the possibility of generalizing them.

In this article we will see a biography of Robert S. Woodworth , as well as some of his main contributions to psychology.

Robert S. Woodworth: life and work of this American psychologist

Robert Sessions Woodworth was born on October 17, 1869 in Belchertown Massachusetts, United States.

In 1891 he received a degree in philosophy from Amherst College, and later trained in science and mathematics. In 1895 he began a specialization in philosophy at Harvard University , which he completed in 1896. His tutor had been the philosopher and scientist William James, who motivated him to obtain a doctorate in psychology.

Following this advice, Woodworth was formed at Columbia University under the direction of James McKeen Cattell , who was one of the main advocates of the scientific consolidation of psychology. Robert S. Woodworth finally received his doctorate in psychology in 1899, with a research on The Accuracy of Voluntary Movement.

From this point on, Woodworth worked as a teacher at the same university, at which time he established a close professional relationship with another of the most representative psychologists of the time: Edward L. Thorndike, with whom he carried out different studies in learning theories . Among other things, they concluded that learning cannot be transferred from one element to another, that is, that learning a subject does not necessarily produce an improvement in general learning.

He then did a postdoctoral training at the University of Liverpool, completing it in 1902. After this he returned to Columbia University to work as a professor, accompanied by his wife Gabrielle Schjoth. Robert S. Woodworth died on July 4, 1962 in New York City.

Professional work

In 1914 Robert s. Woodworth served as president of the American Psychological Association (APA), where he held constant discussions alongside other renowned psychologists such as Edward B. Titchener and Oswald Külpe.

On the other hand, in the context of the First World War and as it happened with other psychologists of that time, Woodworth participated in the design of psychological tests used to evaluate the men recruited. Woodworth’s Personal Data Sheet was the name given to the scale used for this purpose.

Woodworth also served as head of the Department of Psychology at Columbia University for nearly a decade (1918-1927).

Dynamic or eclectic psychology

Robert S. Woodworth’s main contribution to psychology was the defence that it is necessary to incorporate different approaches in order to have a broad understanding of psychology . At the beginning of the 20th century, Woodworth proposed a unified system of psychological thinking. At the same time, he was against the dominant methodological determinism in psychology, and said that it was necessary to adopt an eclectic approach in the understanding of human behavior.

For example, he rejected McDougall’s proposals that were strongly focused on innate components, and at the same time remained sceptical of John Watson’s proposals , which emphasized the role of the environment in behavior. In the same sense, he distanced himself from Edawrd Tichener, who emphasized the study of consciousness over the other aspects of the human being.

Woordworth argued that behavior was indeed a function of environmental stimuli, but so was the composition of an organism and its own consciousness.

For this psychologist it was necessary to develop a “midway psychology”, which could be adapted or generalized to the interests of all human needs. In this sense, Woodworth considered that both thought and consciousness were legitimate objects of study of scientific psychology . The latter represented an important suggestion for the development of psychology of the time, which was among the debates on the study of observable behaviour or internal mental processes.

From that he developed two important constructs for psychology: the interactionist metaphor of “dynamics”, to refer to the determining role of both nature and the environment; and an explanatory model of the latter under the formula of “Stimulus-Organism-Response” (S-O-R).

Outstanding works

Some of his most recognized works are Elements of Physiological Psychology , from 191 and Dynamic Psychology, from 1918, where he analyzed behavior and its relationship with physiological processes , as well as the relationship of these with introspective methods. It was in this work where Wood argued in an important way the need to connect all the previous elements in psychological interventions.

Also representative is the book Psychology: A study of Mental Life , from 1921, where he argued that both heredity and environment are determining factors in human behavior, for which he developed the formula S-O-R.

This work became one of the reference texts in 20th century psychology and one of the most influential introductory writings in the professionalization of this discipline.

Bibliographic references:

  • Roberth S. Woodworth (2018). Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved September 28, 2018. Available at https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-S-Woodworth.
  • Roberth S. Woodworth (2013). New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved September 28, 2018. Available at http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Robert_S._Woodworth.