Post on 28-Dec-2015
THE HISTORY OF
PSYCHOLOGY
WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGY?
The study of behavior and mental
processes• Behavior - anything an organism does,
observed actions• Mental processes – thinking, feelings,
sensations, perception
The discipline has evolved over time &
is still “under construction”
HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY
•Although the science of psychology started in the
late 1800’s, the concept has been around a lot longer.
•evidence of trephination (cutting holes into skull to
let evil spirits out) back in stone age
It was like a bad SAW movie!!!!
ORIGINS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Influenced by both philosophy & physiology
• Philosophy- “love of wisdom,” use of reason to understand reality & existence• Physiology- the study of the way
living things workancient Greek philosophers were the first to ponder the workings of the mind
Socrates & Plato• Argued that the
mind is separate from the body• Dualism: the
belief that the mind is separate from the body• Knowledge is
innate (born within us)
GREEK PHILOSOPHERS
Aristotle• Loved data & wrote
about many topics (dreams, sleep, senses, memory…)
• Argued that knowledge grows from experiences stored in our memories
• Laid foundation for the Scientific Method
THE ENLIGHTENMENT
John Locke• “Tabula Rasa”=blank slate, humans are
born knowing nothing• Everything is learned, nothing is
innate• All knowledge comes from
experience• Empiricism: knowledge is acquired
through observation & experience
BIRTH OF PSYCHOLOGY
Wilhelm Wundt-1879 University of
Leipzig• Reaction time experiment• Psychology’s first experiment,
birth of a science• Established first psychology lab• Introspection (looking inward)
Andrea Yates