Joseph Jastrow
Encyclopedia
Joseph Jastrow was an American
psychologist
, noted for inventions in experimental psychology
, design of experiments
, and psycho-physics. Jastrow was one of the first scientists to study the evolution of language, publishing an article on the topic in 1886. He also worked on the phenomena of optical illusions, and a number of well-known optical illusions (such as the Jastrow illusion
) were either discovered or popularized in his work.
scholar Marcus Jastrow
, Joseph Jastrow was the younger brother of the Orientalist
, Morris Jastrow, Jr.
. Joseph Jastrow came to Philadelphia
in 1866 and graduated at Penn
in 1882. Jastrow was a fellow in psychology at Johns Hopkins
(1885–86), during which time he assisted C. S. Peirce with experiments in psycho-physics that introduced randomization
and blinding
for a repeated measures design
. From 1888 onwards, Jastrow was a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. Professor Jastrow was head of the psychological section of the World's Columbian Exposition
in 1893. He served as president of the American Psychological Association
for the year 1900. He contributed to Science
, the Psychological Review
, and to other periodicals.
His wife was Rachel Szold, a sister of Henrietta Szold
.
His publications include: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Peirce/small-diffs.htm
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
, noted for inventions in experimental psychology
Experimental psychology
Experimental psychology is a methodological approach, rather than a subject, and encompasses varied fields within psychology. Experimental psychologists have traditionally conducted research, published articles, and taught classes on neuroscience, developmental psychology, sensation, perception,...
, design of experiments
Design of experiments
In general usage, design of experiments or experimental design is the design of any information-gathering exercises where variation is present, whether under the full control of the experimenter or not. However, in statistics, these terms are usually used for controlled experiments...
, and psycho-physics. Jastrow was one of the first scientists to study the evolution of language, publishing an article on the topic in 1886. He also worked on the phenomena of optical illusions, and a number of well-known optical illusions (such as the Jastrow illusion
Jastrow illusion
The Jastrow illusion is an optical illusion discovered by the American psychologist Joseph Jastrow in 1889. In this illustration, the two figures are identical, although the lower one appears to be larger. The short edge of the upper figure is compared to the long side of the lower one....
) were either discovered or popularized in his work.
Schooling and appointments
Jastrow was born in Warsaw, Poland. A son of TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
scholar Marcus Jastrow
Marcus Jastrow
Marcus Jastrow was a renowned Talmudic scholar, most famously known for his authorship of the popular and comprehensive A Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Babli, Talmud Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature....
, Joseph Jastrow was the younger brother of the Orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
, Morris Jastrow, Jr.
Morris Jastrow, Jr.
Morris Jastrow, Jr., Ph. D. was an American orientalist, the son of Marcus Jastrow.-Biography:He was born in Warsaw, came to Philadelphia in 1866 when his father, Marcus Jastrow, accepted a position as Rabbi of Congregation Rodeph Shalom. He graduated at Penn in 1881...
. Joseph Jastrow came to Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1866 and graduated at Penn
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...
in 1882. Jastrow was a fellow in psychology at Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
(1885–86), during which time he assisted C. S. Peirce with experiments in psycho-physics that introduced randomization
Randomization
Randomization is the process of making something random; this means:* Generating a random permutation of a sequence .* Selecting a random sample of a population ....
and blinding
Blinding
Blinding can refer to:*The act of making someone blind**Metaphorical and extended uses of same: see blindness#Metaphorical uses*Blinding , a technique by which an agent can provide a service to a client in an encoded form without knowing either the real input or the real output*Blinding , a novel...
for a repeated measures design
Repeated measures design
The repeated measures design uses the same subjects with every condition of the research, including the control. For instance, repeated measures are collected in a longitudinal study in which change over time is assessed. Other studies compare the same measure under two or more different conditions...
. From 1888 onwards, Jastrow was a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. Professor Jastrow was head of the psychological section of the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
in 1893. He served as president 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...
for the year 1900. He contributed to Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
, the Psychological Review
Psychological Review
Psychological Review is a scientific journal that publishes articles on psychological theory. It was founded by Princeton psychologist James Mark Baldwin and Columbia psychologist James McKeen Cattell in 1894 as a publication vehicle for psychologists not connected with the Clark laboratory of G....
, and to other periodicals.
His wife was Rachel Szold, a sister of Henrietta Szold
Henrietta Szold
Henrietta Szold was a U.S. Jewish Zionist leader and founder of the Hadassah Women's Organization. In 1942, she co-founded Ihud, a political party in Mandate Palestine dedicated to a binational solution.-Biography:...
.
Publications
- Time Relations of Mental Phenomena (1890)
- Epitomes of Three Sciences (1890)
- Fact and Fable in Psychology (1900)
- The Subconscious (1906)
- The Qualities of Men (1910)
- Character and Temperament (1914)
- "Charles Peirce as a Teacher" in The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology, and Scientific Methods, v. 13, n. 26, December, 723–726 (1916). Google Books and text-string search.
- The Psychology of Conviction (1918)
- The House that Freud Built (1932)
- Wish and Wisdom: Episodes in the Vagaries of Belief (1935)
- Story of Human Error (1936)
External links
- Rabbit-Duck Illusion
- Duck-rabbit and Rabbit-duck (after Wittgenstein)
- Mind Tricks for the Masses, On Wisconsin magazine article
- Joseph Jastrow's biography at University of Wisconsin - Madison's Psychology Department