Herbart's mathematical psychology.
G J Boudewijnse, D J Murray, C A Bandomir
History of psychology August 1999 DOI: 10.1037/1093-4510.2.3.163 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Herbart's mathematical theory of mental idea competition and fusion can be applied to predict recognition latencies in short-term memory, as in Sternberg's task, providing a historical foundation for modern cognitive modeling. |
Abstract
J.F. Herbart (1824/1890b) provided a mathematical theory about how mental ideas (Vorstellungen) in consciousness at Time 1 (T1) could compete, possibly driving 1 or more Vorstellungen below a threshold of consciousness. At T1 a Vorstellung A could also fuse with another, B. If at a later T2, A resurfaced into consciousness, it could help B to re-resurface into consciousness. This article describes the historical and mathematical background of Herbart's theory, outlines the mathematical theory itself with the aid of computer graphics, and argues that the theory can be applied to the modern problem of predicting recognition latencies in short-term memory (Sternberg's task; Sternberg, 1966)