Final answer:
William James authored the 'Principles of Psychology' in 1890 and is recognized as the father of American psychology, making him the answer to the question.
Step-by-step explanation:
The individual who introduced the world to the field of psychology through his seminal work 'Principles of Psychology' published in 1890 was William James. William James is often celebrated as the father of American psychology and made significant contributions to the field by developing a functionalist approach to psychology.
This contrasted to Wilhelm Wundt's structuralist approach, which sought to break down consciousness into its basic elements using introspection. While Wundt established the first laboratory dedicated to psychological research and is thus considered one of the founders of psychology, it was James who authored the 'Principles of Psychology', making him the correct answer to the student's question.