Field of psychology marched to the drums of world war

IUB's Capshew explores events that catalyzed a 'techno-scientific' profession

By Susan Voelkel

Psychologists on the March, the title of an upcoming book by IUB Professor James Capshew, alludes to the fact that the profession got in step in consort with the 20th century's two world wars. The wars "were instrumental in the development of psychology as a techno-scientific profession. They did more than 'prove' that psychology was of practical use; they brought new opportunities and increased resources, moral as well as financial to the community," Capshew writes.

The profession was born in the late 19th century "when it was first introduced into American colleges and universities" and then got a boost during World War I. But, at that point, activities were mostly limited to testing. The specialty boomed following the war, and between 1919 and 1939, the number of psychologists grew tenfold, from approximately 300 to 3,000 professionals.

"World War II stands as a watershed in the development of psychological science, when social forces and intellectual trends engendered a major shift in the role of the psychologist. As the professional self-image of the psychologist was transformed, public attitudes and expectations about psychology also changed."

In "the space of a single professional lifetime," Capshew notes, psychology matured to a profession of 30,000 in this country. In 1929, there were 1,000 psychologists. In 1940, there were 4,000‹virtually all experimental psychologists. There was no clinical field as such. World War II was the catalyst for expansion into the mental health profession. Psychiatrists were overwhelmed, and psychologists came into their own. Basically, Capshew states, the Veterans Administration created the clinical psychologists' profession, which by 1960 had grown to be the largest area in psychology.

World War II mobilized an alliance of clinical and experimental psychologists, and after the war, the American Psychological Association (of which IU's President William Lowe Bryan was a charter member) unified the profession, pulling the parts together. The process was expedited by the fact that new sources of government funding became available.

Psychologists on the March: Science, Practice, and Professional Identity in America, 1929-1969, which will be published by the Cambridge University Press this summer, chronicles the development of the profession. "This study explores the complex relations among professionalism, science and ideology in American psychology during the middle of the 20th century," said Capshew who, incidently, is not a psychologist, but is in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science.

Capshew is on sabbatical and is marching to a different beat, preparing to write another book, a biography of a man he has known or known about since boyhood. Capshew grew up in Bloomington and did his undergraduate work at IU. During that time, he worked a couple of years for Herman B Wells. He credits Chancellor Wells with helping him channel his interest in scientists, but not in being a scientist, and his love of history into the study of the history and philosophy of science. Now Capshew is on a somewhat nostalgic path as he undertakes, with an historian's thoroughness, to chronicle the life of this special mentor.

He wants to write the book now, while the subject is available as a resource and while many of Wells' colleagues and friends are accessible to provide first-hand details about this remarkable man. Capshew is considering establishing a Web page where those who have contributions to offer about Wells' life can communicate with the author.

Capshew is also a consulting editor for a new journal, History of Psychology, a quarterly publication of the American Psychological Association, which will produce the first issue in the spring of 1998.