Edward Titchener

Psychology United Kingdom 1867 – 1927 107 quotes

British-American psychologist who brought structuralism to the US, focusing on conscious experience.

Most quoted

"The business of psychology is to analyze mental structure, to synthesize mental elements, and to explain mental processes."

— from An Outline of Psychology, 1896

"The psychologist must be a trained observer, capable of analyzing his own mental states without bias or preconception."

— from Experimental Psychology: A Manual of Laboratory Practice, 1901

"The aim of psychology is to describe and explain the states of consciousness as they occur in the human mind."

— from An Outline of Psychology, 1896

All quotes by Edward Titchener (107)

Beware the functionalists; they describe what the mind does, not what it is.

Critique in journal 1909

The laboratory is psychology's cathedral, where minds are worshipped.

Professional remark 1903

Introspection demands discipline, like any noble art.

Lecture excerpt 1914

Psychology's progress mirrors the mind's complexity—slow but inevitable.

Interview 1924

Elements of mind: simple, yet their combinations infinite.

Major work passage 1896

From sensations to thoughts, the chain is unbroken.

Key passage 1910

The introspective method is psychology's greatest gift.

Book excerpt 1902