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Edgar John RubinDanish psychologist
Date of Birth: 06.09.1886
Country:  Denmark |
Content:
Biography of Edgar John Rubin
Edgar John Rubin (September 6, 1886 – May 3, 1951) was a Danish psychologist who made significant contributions to the development of Gestalt psychology.
Education
Rubin received his education at Solomanna College and studied philosophy at the University of Copenhagen from 1904 to 1911 and in 1915. During this time, he conducted research on simultaneous light contrast under the guidance of A. Lehmann and G. Müller. He also worked in the laboratory of E. Husserl, alongside D. Katz, and earned a master's degree in psychology in 1910 and a doctorate in philosophy in 1915.
Career
From 1916 to 1918, Rubin worked as an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen. He then became a lecturer from 1918 to 1922 and finally a professor of experimental psychology in 1922. As the successor of A. Lehmann, he led the psychological laboratory at the university. Rubin also served as the President of the International Congress of Psychology held in Copenhagen.
Work
Rubin's most famous work, "Synsoplevede Figuer" (Visual Perceptual Figures), published in Kobenhavn in 1915, had a significant impact on the further development of Gestalt psychology. In this work, he described the subjective features of figures and backgrounds. Rubin found that figures stand out from backgrounds, are better remembered, and are perceived as objects, while backgrounds appear continuous and behind the figures. He also discovered that changing the background can cause the figure to become unrecognizable. Rubin's work included the creation of the iconic image known as "Rubin's Vase" in 1921. This vase can be perceived as either two faces or two goblets, demonstrating the ambiguity of figure-ground relationships.
