An Introduction to Social Psychology
- ISBN-10
- 1542867770
- ISBN-13
- 9781542867771
- Series
- An Introduction to Social Psychology
- Pages
- 326
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2017-02
- Publisher
- Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
- Author
- William McDougall
Description
The author attempts to present psychology from such a point of view that it may become a technique for the social sciences. The point of view which, in his opinion, will give this value to psychology is that of the instincts. The author undertakes the difficult task of determining the instincts and their derivatives in the human animal, using three criteria. These are the identity of a type of activity with one that is to be found in lower forms, the appearance of the activity as a dominant process in pathological cases, and the presence of a specific emotion which he assumes must accompany each instinct as such. The most important feature of this analysis of the author, in the mind of the reviewer, is that it makes the ultimate unit an act rather than a state of consciousness. All consciously formed habits are regarded as in a sense derivatives of these instincts and servants of them. All the motive power of conduct is found in them.
