Page:American Anthropologist NS vol. 22.djvu/13

 American Anthropologist

��NEW SERIES

��VOL. 22 JANUARY-MARCH, 1920 No. i

OPPORTUNITIES FOR COORDINATION IN ANTHRO- POLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 1

BY CLARK WISSLER

THE creation of a joint Division of the National Research Council to represent anthropology and psychology brings us together here in order that we may consider how and to what degree the aims of both may be coordinated. I have been asked to outline some of the problems that invite such coordination, but before entering upon the specific discussion of opportunities for coordination and cooperation, some general orientation seems necessary. In the first place, we are dealing with two distinct sciences, each of which grew up in its own way and each of which shows every indication of being able to stand upon its own feet. These two -sciences differ not only in their points of view, but also in their major contents. About the only ground they seem to have in common is that they both study men. It is true that psychology gives a large place to the study of animal intelligence, but on the other hand, anthropology also concerns itself with morphological problems among the higher mammals and even dips into the pairing and other social habits of the anthropoids. There is, however, a difference in that anthropology is at present largely concerned with the morphology of the case, while psychology puts its emphasis upon what it chooses to recognize as intelligence. Yet this dis- tinction should not obscure the other relations and attitudes of the two sciences. Thus, psychology gives a great deal of attention to the ways of doing things, learning, habit, etc.; and again, anthro-

1 Address before the joint session of the American Psychological Association and the American Anthropological Association, at Harvard University, December 30, 1919. i I

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