Edwin B. Twitmyer
Encyclopedia
Edwin Burket Twitmyer was Professor of Psychology
and Director of the Psychological Laboratory and Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania
. He is a little known figure in the history of psychology, but he independently discovered classical conditioning
at approximately the same time as the famous Russian physiologist, Ivan Pavlov
, who is normally given credit for this achievement.
Twitmyer initially studied the patellar tendon reflex
, and devised an apparatus that delivered a light tap below the knees of his research subjects in order to elicit this reflex. Twitmyer warned his subjects that the tap was about to be delivered with a bell. During the course of his research, the sound of the bell was accidentally presented to one of his subjects without the tap below the knee. In a serendipitous
discovery much like Pavlov's, Twitmyer realized that the auditory
stimulus
was sufficient to produce the now conditioned reflexive response.
Twitmyer replicated the experiment with six more subjects and found that all of them learned to associate the bell with the hammer, and would produce the response to the sound of the bell alone. This typically took several dozen trials and the conditioned response was not only unintentional, but several of his subjects found themselves unable to prevent the response even when they attempted to do so. This finding is the first experimental demonstration of classical conditioning in a human being.
Twitmyer published this research in his doctoral dissertation in 1902, one year before Pavlov announced the results of his research with dogs at the 1903 International Medical Congress in Madrid. He also presented his work at a meeting of the American Psychological Association
in 1904, presided over by William James
. His paper, Knee jerks without simulation of the patellar tendon, was given late in the session, well-past the scheduled lunch break, and drew little response from the crowd.
No one at the time realized the significance of the discovery, possibly because it did not fit in with existing work in psychology. Twitmyer faded into obscurity, but only a few years later, John B. Watson
had great success popularizing classical conditioning as part of the growing behaviorist movement in psychology.
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and Director of the Psychological Laboratory and Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. He is a little known figure in the history of psychology, but he independently discovered classical conditioning
Classical conditioning
Classical conditioning is a form of conditioning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov...
at approximately the same time as the famous Russian physiologist, Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was a famous Russian physiologist. Although he made significant contributions to psychology, he was not in fact a psychologist himself but was a mathematician and actually had strong distaste for the field....
, who is normally given credit for this achievement.
Twitmyer initially studied the patellar tendon reflex
Reflex
A reflex action, also known as a reflex, is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. A true reflex is a behavior which is mediated via the reflex arc; this does not apply to casual uses of the term 'reflex'.-See also:...
, and devised an apparatus that delivered a light tap below the knees of his research subjects in order to elicit this reflex. Twitmyer warned his subjects that the tap was about to be delivered with a bell. During the course of his research, the sound of the bell was accidentally presented to one of his subjects without the tap below the knee. In a serendipitous
Serendipity
Serendipity means a "happy accident" or "pleasant surprise"; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful without looking for it. The word has been voted as one of the ten English words hardest to translate in June 2004 by a British translation company. However, due to its...
discovery much like Pavlov's, Twitmyer realized that the auditory
Auditory system
The auditory system is the sensory system for the sense of hearing.- Outer ear :The folds of cartilage surrounding the ear canal are called the pinna...
stimulus
Stimulus (physiology)
In physiology, a stimulus is a detectable change in the internal or external environment. The ability of an organism or organ to respond to external stimuli is called sensitivity....
was sufficient to produce the now conditioned reflexive response.
Twitmyer replicated the experiment with six more subjects and found that all of them learned to associate the bell with the hammer, and would produce the response to the sound of the bell alone. This typically took several dozen trials and the conditioned response was not only unintentional, but several of his subjects found themselves unable to prevent the response even when they attempted to do so. This finding is the first experimental demonstration of classical conditioning in a human being.
Twitmyer published this research in his doctoral dissertation in 1902, one year before Pavlov announced the results of his research with dogs at the 1903 International Medical Congress in Madrid. He also presented his work at a meeting of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
in 1904, presided over by William James
William James
William James was a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher who was trained as a physician. He wrote influential books on the young science of psychology, educational psychology, psychology of religious experience and mysticism, and on the philosophy of pragmatism...
. His paper, Knee jerks without simulation of the patellar tendon, was given late in the session, well-past the scheduled lunch break, and drew little response from the crowd.
No one at the time realized the significance of the discovery, possibly because it did not fit in with existing work in psychology. Twitmyer faded into obscurity, but only a few years later, John B. Watson
John B. Watson
John Broadus Watson was an American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism. Watson promoted a change in psychology through his address Psychology as the Behaviorist Views it which was given at Columbia University in 1913...
had great success popularizing classical conditioning as part of the growing behaviorist movement in psychology.
External links
- Edward B. Twitmyer at www.psych.upenn.edu
- Tale of the Almost Was: E.B. Twitmyer at www1.appstate.edu