THE ROAD NOT TAKEN - A FALSE START FOR COGNITIVE-PSYCHOLOGY

''Psychology and History'' was Munsterberg's presidential address at t he 1898 American Psychological Association conference. After a short a cademic career in Germany, Munsterberg had accepted a chair at Harvard University. In his address, he presented to his American colleagues h is conception of psychology as unitary science of the individual human mind. However, this conception that endeavored to import idealistic p hilosophy from Germany was skeptically received in America where pragm atism prevailed. Munsterberg adapted to his new environment. During th e following decade, he incorporated into his theory what he had object ed to before: purposive, social, and applied psychology. Yet, Munsterb erg's initial conception was a sophisticated design for psychology as a cognitive science. In retrospect, it can be evaluated as a road take n much later.