| Code | BPS/GB/60 |
| Thumbnail | 
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| Name | Smith; William George (1866-1918); Dr |
| Title | Dr |
| Forenames | William George |
| Surname | Smith |
| Dates | 1866-1918 |
| Other Names | William George, Smith |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | British |
| DatesAndPlaces | Born Dumfrieshire Scotland 25 August 1866 died 1918
Edinburgh 1889
Strasbourg 1893
Frieburg 1893
Leipzig 1892-1893
Oxford 1895
Harvard spring & summer 1895
Northampton Mass.USA Autumn 1895-1900
Claybury L.C.C. Asylum UK and King's College London 1901
Liverpool University 1905-6
Edinburgh University 1906-1918 |
| Address | Edinburgh |
| Relationships | British Psychological Society
One of the few British psychologists to complete extensive studies c1892 under Wund (1832-1920).
He studied also under Goltz (1834-1902) Flechsig (nd) and Munsterberg (1863-1916) c1893
Daughter Joyce W.S.Smith
No details of spouse known |
| Activity | Founder member British Psychological Society.
Graduated M.A. (1st Class) Edinburgh 1889
Ph.D. Leipzig 1892-1893
Physiological Laboratory Oxford 1895
Harvard Laboratory of Munsterberg spring & summer 1895
Associate Professor of Psychology Smith College, Northampton Mass.USA Autumn 1895-1900
Dept of Experimental Psychology Claybury L.C.C. Asylum UK and lecturer King's College London1901
Elected to Physiological Society 1903
Lecturer in Experimental Psychology Liverpool University 1905-6 (first full time appointment in the subject at this University]
Lecturer in General and Experimental Psychology Edinburgh University 1906-1918
On the first committee of the [British] Psychological Society 1901
Treasurer British Psychological Society 1903-1905
The first use of the term "probable error" and of the Pearson formula for correlation is in an article by Dr Smith on the Muller-Lyer Illusion published in British Journal of Psychology, 2, 16-51, 1906.
One of the few British psychologists to complete extensive studies c1892 under Wund (1832-1920).
He studied also under Goltz (1834-1902) Flechsig (nd) and Munsterberg (1863-1916) c1893
Note: At the first scientific meeting of the [British] Psychological Society in February 1902, Smith read a paper on "Pathological Changes in Immediate Memory and Association". A copy of his only known portrait is held in the visual archives of the British Psychological Society.
Smith's inaugral lecture delivered at Edinburgh University, November 1906 "The Scope of Modern Psychology"
Sources: Information compiled from a pamphlet entitled "The British Psychological Society 1901-1961" supplement to the Bulletin of the British Psychological Society by Kenna, J.C. (1913-2004) Hon.Archivist BPS,(BPS London) 1961.
Compiled by Mike Maskill, BPS Archivist for the History of Psychology Centre. |
| OtherInfo | Copy of his only known portrait is held in archives of the British Psychological Society. At the first scientific meeting of the [British] Psychological Society in February 1902, he read a paper on "Pathological Changes in Immediate Memory and Association". Inaugral lecture delivered at Edinburgh University in November 1906 "The Scope of Modern Psychology" |
| PublishedWorks | Zur Frage der Mittelbaren Association (Leipzig) Druck von Breitkopf & Hartel 1894 (Inaugral Dissertation)
The Psychological Laboratory, Smith College Monthly (USA) Vol.IV No.4, 145-150 January 1897
Pathological Changes in Immediate Memory and Association Proc. Psychol.Soc. 15 February 1902
The Effect of Practice on Certain Simple Mental Activities (nd) offprint
Research on association and memory published in: Arch.Neurol. 2, 767-805, 1903
The Scope of Modern Psychology (Edinburgh) James Thin, 1907
The Prevalence of Spatial Contrast in Visual Perception, The British Psychological Society, British Journal of Psychology,
Volume 8, Issue 3, pages 317–326, September 1916 |
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| Source | Sources: Information compiled from a pamphlet entitled "The British Psychological Society 1901-1961" supplement to the Bulletin of the British Psychological Society by Kenna, J.C. (1913-2004) Hon.Archivist BPS,(BPS London) 1961
The published works list is incomplete and will require updating when more publishing information is known |
| Conventions | International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - 2nd edition Ottawa 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3
National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 |