The Archimedean Point of Educational Psychology: Applied Research Finds Its Place in the World

Authors

• Antti Saari Tampereen yliopisto

Abstract

At the turn of the twentieth century, early American educational psychology succeeded in making itself relevant in various governmental problematizations of the educational system. In this process, the functionalist educational psychology of Edward Lee Thorndike and the studies on the transfer of training played a key role. Using the works of Michel Foucault, Ian Hacking and Bruno Latour, among others, the article focuses on the various investigative techniques whereby Thorndikean psychological research strove to produce scientific knowledge that was both objective as well as potentially applicable in governmental settings. Through a case analysis of functionalist transfer studies, the article will also introduce theoretical insights into an analysis of the diffuse boundaries between educational research and its domain of application.