In 1890, William James published what is regarded by many as the first textbook of psychology.
His comprehensive coverage of the subject contained many topics, including memory.
James believed that memory served a vital function, allowing us to retain certain bits of information invaluable for our survival.
His idea was that we do no need to remember every piece of sensory information we are exposed to, as this would overload us with trivial data.
He went on to suggest that we have two memory systems, ‘primary memory’, a system that allow us to experience consciousness and ‘secondary memory’, a system that allows us to store events from the past.
Access to the primary memory required very little effort, whereas secondary memory required a deliberate effortful act.
James provided with a solid foundation within the field of memory. His notions of a primary and secondary memory system set the scene for what later became interpreted as short term memory and long term memory.
James’s idea about memory did not really start to influence experimental psychology until the 1960s – the reason being that up until this time, behaviorism was the dominant force within psychology.
James’s focus in consciousness and memory did not fit into the objective approach of the behaviorists so his earlier theories tended to be ignored.
William James
