Heinz Werner (psychologist)

Heinz Werner (February 11, 1890 – May 14, 1964) was a developmental psychologist who also studied perception, aesthetics, and language.

Werner was born to Emilie Klauber Werner and Leopold Werner, who was a manufacturer by trade. He was the second of four children, and the first-born son. His father died when he was four, leaving his mother to raise the children. The family; however, did not suffer financially due to provision being made. Both Werner's elementary and high school education was received in Vienna. He had several interests throughout school, including music, particularly the violin, and the sciences. At the age of 10 he became particularly interested in books containing information about the theory of Evolution. These would be the interests that shape his university experiences.

Werner entered Technische Hochschule, a German technical university, in 1908 with the intention of becoming an engineer. A year later, in 1909, Werner realized that this was not desire, and transferred to the University of Vienna with a new plan to become a composer and music historian. While at The University, Werner was exposed to a variety of new materials, and found that he was increasingly interested in philosophy and psychology. From 1912-1913, Werner published multiple articles, including "A Genetic Table of Conceptual Forms", his first article. His dissertation was "The Psychology of Esthetic Enjoyment", for which he was awarded a Ph.D. and graduated summa cum laude in 1914.

Following graduation, Werner remained at the University as an assistant, working with Sigmund Exner at the University's Institute of Physiology. From 1914-1917, following a short-term military service involvement, he conducted research, both at the University of Munich and University of Vienna. This research included rhythmic factors in perception and created melodies by children aged 2.5–5 years of age. In 1917, he became a Research Assistant to William Stern at the Psychological Institute at Hamburg. Eventually, in 1921, he was given the position of Privatdozent at University of Hamburg; a position that he remained in for twelve years.

University of Hamburg Although involved in many disciplines at the University, Werner's the majority of his work fell into perception (including problems with perception), development, and aesthetic-expressive factors in speech. During his time at the University he was productive in his research, publishing several articles in these fields, and simultaneously carried the title of co-editor of the Zeitschrift für Psychologie. He left the position at Hamburg due to the Nazis in 1933, eventually moving to the United States to accept a position at the University of Michigan.

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