Foundations of psychologyChapter 5Strengthening the scientific standing of psychologyThe USA began to rule psychology in the twentieth century.Sheer amount of researchTextbooks The expansion of psychology around the start of the twentieth century As well as laboratories, in 1892 the American Psychological Association (APA) was founded, giving psychology researchers a forum to meet and discuss their findings.Two journals were established that would dominate the field and that still exists today.American journal of psychologyPsychological review The first American psychology: functionalism As psychology in the USA expanded, it got moulded by the expectations and preoccupations of American society.A strong interest in Darwin’s evolutionary theoryInheritanceAmerica was one of the first countries where eugenics had a strong impactEugenics: social philosophy claiming that the fate of a nation can be improved by selective breeding of the inhabitants Positive eugenics: encouraging people with desirable features to have more childrenNegative eugenics: improve society by preventing people with undesirable features from entering the country and/or having children Adaptation to the environmentAmericans were convinced that human characteristics and achievements were not solely due to inheritance but depended on the environment as well.One could change and...