Fact and Fable in Psychology

Joseph Jastrow

Joseph Jastrow was an American psychologist who contributed to experimental psychology, design of experiments, and psychophysics. He also worked on the phenomena of optical illusions, and a number of optical illusions that were either first reported in or popularized by his work. Jastrow believed that everyone had their own, often incorrect, preconceptions about psychology. One of his ultimate goals was to use the scientific method to identify truth from error, and educate the general public, which Jastrow accomplished through speaking tours, popular print media, and the radio.