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