Hugo Münsterberg

(1863 - 1916)

A founder of the field of applied psychology, Hugo Münsterberg began his career in Germany, where his psychological findings were largely criticized. His work gained a following in the United States, and William James invited him to set up a psychological laboratory at Harvard University. Münsterberg’s interest in the credibility of eyewitness testimony arose from being called on as a scientific expert in two murder cases. In 1908 he published On the Witness Stand, which was influential to the development of forensic psychology.