How did psychology originate?

When did it begin?

Who were the people responsible for establishing psychology as a separate science?

Why Study Psychology History?

From its earliest beginnings, psychology has been faced with a number of questions.

The initial question of how to define psychology helped establish it as a science separate from physiology and philosophy.

So what makes psychology different from philosophy?

Physiology also contributed to psychologys eventual emergence as a scientific discipline.

He later opened theworlds first psychology labin 1879 at the University of Leipzig.

This event is generally considered the official start of psychology as a separate and distinct scientific discipline.

How did Wundt view psychology?

He perceived the subject as the study of humanconsciousnessand sought to applyexperimental methodsto studying internal mental processes.

While his influence dwindled as the field matured, his impact on psychology is unquestionable.

When Titchener died in 1927, structuralism essentially died with him.

Functionalists utilized methods such as direct observation to study the human mind and behavior.

Both of these early schools of thought emphasized human consciousness, but their conceptions of it were significantly different.

The Emergence of Psychoanalysis

Up to this point, early psychology stressed conscious human experience.

According to Freud,psychological disordersare the result of these unconscious conflicts becoming extreme or unbalanced.

While many of his ideas are viewed with skepticism today, his influence on psychology is undeniable.

Behaviorism was a major change from previous theoretical perspectives, rejecting the emphasis on both theconscious and unconscious mind.

Instead, behaviorism strove to make psychology a more scientific discipline by focusing purely on observable behavior.

Behaviorism had its earliest start with the work of a Russian physiologist namedIvan Pavlov.

Pavlov demonstrated that this learning process could be used to make anassociationbetween aneutralenvironmental stimulus and anaturallyoccurring stimulus.

An American psychologist namedJohn B. Watsonsoon became one of the strongest advocates of behaviorism.

Skinnerfurthered the behaviorist perspective with his concept ofoperant conditioning, which demonstrated the effect ofpunishmentandreinforcementon behavior.

Often referred to as the “third force” in psychology, this theoretical perspective emphasized conscious experiences.

American psychologistCarl Rogersis often considered to be one of the founders of this school of thought.

PsychologistAbraham Maslowalso contributed to humanistic psychology with his famoushierarchy of needstheory of human motivation.

This theory suggests that people are motivated by increasingly complex needs.

Once the most basic needs are fulfilled, people become motivated to pursue higher-level needs.

The story certainly does not end here.

Psychology has continued to evolve since 1960 and new ideas andperspectiveshave been introduced.

Today, the majority of psychologists do not identify themselves with a single school of thought.

This eclectic approach has contributed new ideas and theories that will continue to shape psychology for years to come.

A number ofwomen made important contributionsto the early history of psychology, although their work is sometimes overlooked.

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