280 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLV. No. 1160 



'12-'% 'IT-'OI '(Xt-'Oh m-ll 'Ji- It, FutuRe 



Chart showing the Distribution op Work of 



American Psychologists 



Hall, though some of us may at times re- 

 gard it as an invention of the devil. Mem- 

 bers of the association were asked to fill 

 in a blank stating the psychological re^ 

 searches in which they are engaged or plan 

 to take up soon and the amount of time 

 they are able to spend on research. Of the 

 220 who replied, 68 either reported that 

 they are not at present doing research work 

 in psychology or signed the blank without 

 making a report. Of the 87 members who 

 have not replied there are only a few who 

 are doing work of consequence. More than 

 90 per cent, of those working in psychology 

 are members of the association, and the' 

 replies consequently represent fairly well 

 the work now in progress. 



The last ordinate of the curve is for this 

 work. When more than one research was 

 reported the subjects were distributed frac- 

 tionally so that the 152 replies give an equal 

 number of researches and represent the 

 work of so many individuals. The most 

 impressive exhibition is the smaU amount 

 of attention given to historical, critical, 



philosophical and analytical subjects, and 

 that half of all the work is devoted to 

 genetic and educational psychology. The 

 suicide of philosophical papers is in part 

 accounted for by the birth of our child — 

 The American Philosophical Association — 

 and does not necessarily represent a de- 

 creased interest in philosophy in America. 

 It does, however, mean the establishment of 

 psychology as a science completely inde- 

 pendent of philosophy. 



We are each year carrying forward more 

 and more research work and, I trust, are 

 continually improving its quality. We are 

 doing a larger quantity of work than any 

 other nation and work of equal value. But 

 our accomplishment falls far below what 

 it might be and should be. Psychology does 

 not attract a sufficient number of able men 

 and adequate opportunity is not given to 

 them. I suppose the median salary paid 

 psychologists who teach is less than that of 

 employees in the railway unions, nor do we 

 have the eight-hour day. The Ph.D. with 

 all its outfit is a trap baited for mediocrity 

 rather than for intelligence, and the victim 

 gets caught at the advanced average age 

 of 28 years. Then he must teach or starve 

 or both. He has done research work of a 

 kind, but whether it has been the mere 

 routine attempt to solve a set problem or 

 promises original performance, he is stewed 

 in the same juice. He is not given a posi- 

 tion unless he has done the modest amount 

 of work required for the doctorate, but the 

 position is usually such that further re- 

 search work is prohibited. If he shows ex- 

 ceptional ability he may receive a minor 

 university appointment with extension and 

 summer courses, and if he continues to show 

 ability he may become a dean or a presi- 

 dent or some such thing. Scientific research 

 and productive scholarship are regarded as 

 desirable accomplishments, and men are 

 sometimes called from one institution to 



