Narendra Nath Sen Gupta

Narendra Nath Sen Gupta (23 December 1889 – 13 June 1944) was a Harvard-educated Indian psychologist, philosopher, and professor, who is generally recognized as the founder of modern psychology in India along with Indian Scientist Gunamudian David Boaz. In 1916 he established the First independent department of psychology in India–the Department of Experimental Psychology, at the University of Calcutta, the second being in University of Madras by Dr.Gunamudian David Boaz.

Sen Gupta also played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Section of Psychology and Educational Science division of the Indian Science Congress Association in 1923, an occurrence that emphasized the scientific nature of psychological research, and bestowed upon psychology the status of a science in India. Sen Gupta was also the founder of the Indian Psychological Association, and the founding editor of the first official psychology journal in India, the Indian Journal of Psychology. In 1929, Sen Gupta and Radhakamal Mukerjee published Introduction to Social Psychology, one of the first texts covering the topic of social psychology published in India. (Reference check needed - Keshub Chandra Sen-Gupta?)

At Harvard

Sen Gupta attended Harvard College from 1910 to 1913, during which he received his atrium baccalaureus (i.e., bachelor of arts degree). After completing his undergraduate degree, he enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard, and received his atrium magister (i.e., master of arts degree) in 1914. Sen Gupta had the opportunity to study under Hugo Münsterberg at Harvard, and continued his training in psychology with Robert Yerkes and Edwin Holt. During that same year, he was asked to become chairman of a newly established Department of Experimental Psychology at the university. Sen Gupta's responsibilities as chairman included the development of a psychology program, teaching psychology and philosophy, and laboratory research in psychology. In August 1916, Sen Gupta married Kamala Sen.

Psychological research Laboratory research at the University of Calcutta primarily focused on the areas of depth perception, psychophysics, and attention. In addition, reviews stated that the book was written from the stance of Western research literature that was current at the time, and included minimal material from Indian sources, thus representing the westernization of scholarship in India.

Influence on curriculum

Sen Gupta was appointed Professor of Philosophy at the University of Lucknow in 1929. However, his interests shifted to the psychology of religion during the latter portion of his life, and he focused on experimentally investigating "Sadhana," the spiritual pursuit required for the accomplishment of goals. As a student of Sanskrit and Pali languages, Sen Gupta drew from original literature from religious texts of ancient India and the classics of Christian mysticism to write his "magnum opus," which he planned to publish under the title of Mechanisms of Ecstasy. The manuscript was lost in the confusion following Sen Gupta's death in June 1944 due to a stroke.

Publications Sen Gupta made contributions to the disciplines of psychology, philosophy, education, and anthropology in India. He was the founding editor of the Indian Journal of Psychology, and his writings include:

Introduction to Social Psychology (1928), co-authored with Radhakamal Mukerjee Mental Growth and Decay (1940) Heredity in Mental Traits (1942)