Gustav Theodor Fechner

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Gustav Theodor Fechner

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Gustav Theodor Fechner. Born Gross-SSrchen, Lower Lusatia, 19 April 1801. Died Leipzig, Germany, 18 November 1887. Fechner earned his degree in biological science in 1822 at the University of Leipzig and taught there until his death. He was appointed professor of physics in 1834. During an experiment to study color and vision, he damaged his eyes looking at afterimages, while gazing at the sun. This forced him to retire in 1839. Henceforth, he devoted himself to the study of the mind/body relationship. He lectured and wrote extensively on the subject. Fechner's most significant contributions to the examination of the mind/body dichotomy were made in his Elemente der Psychophysik (1860), and in his Revision der Hauptpunkte der Psychophysik (1882). These works are the basis for his reputation as the founder of experimental psychology, because they provide quantitative methods for measuring mental functions; e.g.- The Weber-Fechner law, expressed as follows "In order that the intensity of a sensation may increase in arithmetical progression, the stimulus must increase in geometrical progression."

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March 7th, 2013

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