Tracing Ideological Perspectives through 100 Years of an Academic Genealogy

Abstract

This article traces 100 years of an academic genealogy (a particular line of successive major professors) and provides evidence not only that several themes important to contemporary psychology have been discussed regularly since Wilhelm Wundt but also that similar perspectives on these ideas are passed from generation to generation. The central ideas passed down through eight generations in this particular genealogy include the essential role of empiricism in building psychological theory, the application of psychological principles to education, a strong interest in defining normal cognitive and developmental processes, and a deep commitment to volunteering time in professional service.