The impact of the variability hypothesis on Margaret F. Washburn's and Mary W. Calkins' parodoxical relations with faculty in their graduate programs

Author

Ginger Hudson, Radford University
Ann N. Elliott, Radford University

Periodical Title

Modern Psychological Studies

Volume

11

Number

1

Page Numbers

pages 1-9

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2005

Abstract

This paper offers a possible explanation for the paradoxical relations for two of psychology's 19th century female pioneers with faculty members in their graduate programs: Margaret F Washburn and James M. Cattell at Columbia University; and Mary W. Calkins and Hugo Munsterberg at Harvard University. Cattell's and Munsterberg's strong support and advocacy for these female graduate students appear contradictory to their general beliefs regarding women's intellectual capacities and pursuit of higher education. However, it is suggested that their views were, in fact, consistent with the variability hypothesis, which drew a sharp distinction between "average" and "exceptional" women. It is further suggested that Munsterberg's and Cattell's endorsement of the variability hypothesis may have increased their willingness to advocate equal educational opportunities for Calkins and Washburn.

Subject

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

9 leaves

Language

English

Call Number

BF1 .M63 v. 11 no. 1 2005

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Recommended Citation

Hudson, Ginger and Elliott, Ann N. (2005) "The impact of the variability hypothesis on Margaret F. Washburn's and Mary W. Calkins' parodoxical relations with faculty in their graduate programs," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 11: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol11/iss1/2