Biomaterial Database

Herbart's mathematical psychology. 1999

G J Boudewijnse, and D J Murray, and C A Bandomir

Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

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)

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008433	Mathematics	The deductive study of shape, quantity, and dependence. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Mathematic
D011584	Psychology	The science dealing with the study of mental processes and behavior in man and animals.	Factors, Psychological,Psychological Factors,Psychological Side Effects,Psychologists,Psychosocial Factors,Side Effects, Psychological,Factor, Psychological,Factor, Psychosocial,Factors, Psychosocial,Psychological Factor,Psychological Side Effect,Psychologist,Psychosocial Factor,Side Effect, Psychological
D005858	Germany	A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.
D049671	History, 18th Century	Time period from 1701 through 1800 of the common era.	18th Century History,18th Cent. History (Medicine),18th Cent. History of Medicine,18th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 18th Century,History of Medicine, 18th Cent.,History, Eighteenth Century,Medical History, 18th Cent.,Medicine, 18th Cent.,18th Century Histories,Cent. History, 18th (Medicine),Cent. Medicine, 18th,Century Histories, 18th,Century Histories, Eighteenth,Century History, 18th,Century History, Eighteenth,Eighteenth Century Histories,Eighteenth Century History,Histories, 18th Century,Histories, Eighteenth Century,History, 18th Cent. (Medicine)
D049672	History, 19th Century	Time period from 1801 through 1900 of the common era.	19th Century History,19th Cent. History (Medicine),19th Cent. History of Medicine,19th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 19th Century,History of Medicine, 19th Cent.,History, Nineteenth Century,Medical History, 19th Cent.,Medicine, 19th Cent.,19th Cent. Histories (Medicine),19th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 19th (Medicine),Cent. History, 19th (Medicine),Century Histories, 19th,Century Histories, Nineteenth,Century History, 19th,Century History, Nineteenth,Histories, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 19th Century,Histories, Nineteenth Century,History, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Nineteenth Century Histories,Nineteenth Century History