If you looked at a book on a table and said, “I see a book on the table,” what error would you be committing, according to Titchener?
Edward Bradford Titchener (1867-1972) was a psychologist of British origin. He put forward the theory of Structuralism. Structuralism was based on the principle that, all perceptions of the human mind can be broken down to the level of individual sensations. He considered psychology as a definitive science, and meant to observe the experiences of an individual from his or her point of view.
According to Titchener, an experience was a sum total of individual mental processes, which occurred during the process of perception. So, if during an experiment the individual looks at a book on table, and comments “I see a book on the table.” he/she would be committing what Titchener called stimulus error. Stimulus error can be defined as, an error committed by the respondent, due to confusing the meaning, or the semantic status of the subjected stimulus, rather than focusing on the mental process.
Thus, in Titchener’s experiment the elementary sensations perceived from the stimulus, or the objects have to be reported. The observer is expected to report the color, shape, brightness, size, and any other stimulus he is experiencing. The description of the object simply as a book is incorrect. Observers are expected to focus on the conscious content, rather than the stimulus content. By doing so they will be better able to distinguish their past lessons regarding the stimulus content from their present experience.