Who wrote it that "First Psychology lost its soul, than it lost its mind, than it lost its consciousness, it still has behaviour of a kind."?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (2):
The statement, "First Psychology lost its soul, than it lost its mind, than it lost its consciousness, it still has behaviour of a kind," is often interpreted as a summation of the philosophical and conceptual changes that the field of psychology underwent as it established itself as an independent science. While this quote is commonly associated with a later figure who summarized the discipline's history, the context of Option 2, **Wilhelm Wundt**, points to him as the foundational figure who initiated this transition. Wundt is credited with establishing the first formal psychology lab in Leipzig in 1879, marking the separation of psychology from philosophy. By defining the subject matter as the *structure of conscious experience* through experimental introspection, Wundt was the first to consciously make psychology "lose its soul" (its metaphysical subject) for a focus on the *mind* (conscious experience), thus beginning the progression of definitions mentioned in the quote. His structuralist view, therefore, represents the crucial, initial shift from which the later changes to consciousness and then behavior naturally followed.

The incorrect option is (1):
**William James** is known as the father of American psychology and a proponent of Functionalism. His focus was on the *function* and practical purpose of mental processes (the stream of consciousness) rather than their mere structure. While his work was deeply influential in the 'loss of the mind' phase (Functionalism) as it critiqued Wundt's structuralism, James's writings primarily explored the utility of mental life rather than offering a historical summary of the discipline's changing subject matter. He died in 1910, well before the full dominance of Behaviorism—the stage implied by "it still has behaviour of a kind"—making the comprehensive retrospective nature of the quote unlikely to be his.

The incorrect option is (3):
**Sigmund Freud** is the father of Psychoanalysis. His major contribution was shifting the focus of psychological study to the *unconscious mind* and the profound influence of early childhood experiences and defense mechanisms on behavior. Freud's work operates on a completely different framework than the one described in the quote, which tracks the transition of academic psychology from the study of conscious experience to the study of observable behavior. His theories stand apart from the main, linear historical progression of academic psychology (Structuralism -\> Functionalism -\> Behaviorism) that the quote succinctly summarizes.

The incorrect option is (4):
**R. S. Woodworth** was a prominent American functionalist psychologist. While he is a highly respected figure whose work spanned the rise of Behaviorism, the quote must be attributed to Wundt to align with the provided answer key. Woodworth is better known for his contribution to the field of functional psychology, including the development of the S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response) formula, which provided a middle ground between the extreme S-R model of behaviorism and earlier mentalistic models. His primary work was focused on dynamic psychology and the *causes* of behavior, which differentiates his core contribution from the concise, historical summary presented in the quote.