Oswald Külpe

Life and work

The story behind the role.

German philosopher (1862-1915).

Theodor Oswald Rudolph Külpe (German: [ˈkʏlpə]; 3 August 1862 – 30 December 1915) was a German structural psychologist of the late 19th and early 20th century. Külpe, who is less well-known than his German mentor, Wilhelm Wundt, revolutionized experimental psychology at his time. In his obituary, Aloys Fischer wrote that, “undoubtedly Külpe was the second founder of experimental psychology on German soil; for with every change of base he made it a requirement that an experimental laboratory should be provided.” Külpe studied as a doctoral student and assistant to Wundt at the University of Leipzig, though his ideas differed from Wundt's as he developed his own research (Boring, 1961). Külpe made significant contributions to the field of psychology, some of which are still relevant, including the systematic experimental introspection, imageless thoughts, mental sets, and abstraction.

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