Wundt et la fondation en 1879 de son laboratoire

Abstract

Summary: Wundt and the founding of his laboratory in 1879 The establishment of Wilhelm Wundt's Leipzig Institute for experimental psychology during the Winter Semester of 1879-1880 has been regarded as a major accomplishment in the institutionalization of psychology as a modern science. It is unfortunate that little information is available about the circumstances under which Wundt established and developped his laboratory. Only the date of 1879 has found its way into almost all histories of psychology and in many introductory books. In the first part of the paper, Wundt's early life and his call to Leipzig is presented. In the second part of the paper, the origin, development, and organization of Wundt's laboratory is chronicled. Emphasis is placed on the use of archival materials, documents, and eyewitness accounts. Key words : Wundt, laboratory, Leipzig, Institute of experimental psychology.