Franz Brentano and the beginning of experimental psychology: implications for the study of psychological phenomena today.
Psychological Research March 1, 2018 Andreas Meyer, Benedikt Hackert, Ulrich Weger
The emergence of psychology as an academic discipline over a century ago brought a paradigm shift that enabled rigorous, experimentation-based study of psychological phenomena but also alienated researchers from the experiential, or qualia, aspects of those phenomena, as inquiry increasingly relied on third-person measures such as behavioral or physiological observations. At this turning point stood the European scholar Franz Brentano, who advocated for a synthesis of both third-person and first-person research methods. On the centenary of his death, this article outlines the historical context, introduces Brentano's approach and work, and discusses its relevance for contemporary experimental psychology.