"Psychology is defined as 'the scientific study of behavior and mental processes'."
This topic covers the origins of psychology as a field of study and how it has evolved throughout the years.
Ancient Greek Philosophy: The start of philosophy as we know it began with the ancient Greeks. This includes the work of Plato, Aristotle, and other notable philosophers who contributed to the history of psychology.
Structuralism: Structuralism was one of the earliest schools of thought in psychology. It emphasized the importance of studying the structure of the mind and consciousness.
Functionalism: Functionalism was another early school of thought that focused on the purpose of mental processes and behavior. This approach heavily influenced the development of modern psychology.
Behaviorism: Behaviorism emerged in the early 20th century and held that behavior can be explained and predicted based on the environment and past experiences. This school of thought heavily influenced the development of psychology in the United States.
Gestalt Psychology: Gestalt psychology was a reaction to the reductionist approach of structuralism and emphasized the importance of the whole in perception and problem-solving.
Psychoanalytic Theory: Psychoanalytic theory, developed by Sigmund Freud, emphasized the role of the unconscious mind and childhood experiences in shaping human behavior.
Humanistic Psychology: Humanistic psychology emerged in the 1950s and emphasized the potential for growth and self-actualization in individuals. This approach focused on subjective experience and personal growth.
Cognitive Psychology: Cognitive psychology emerged in the 1960s and focused on mental processes such as perception, memory, and attention. This approach heavily influenced the development of neuroscience and artificial intelligence.
Developmental Psychology: Developmental psychology studies how individuals develop and change over the lifespan. It includes topics such as cognitive development, social development, and language acquisition.
Social Psychology: Social psychology focuses on how individuals interact with and influence others. This includes topics such as conformity, social cognition, and group dynamics.
Neuropsychology: Neuropsychology studies the relationship between the brain and behavior. This includes topics such as brain injury, cognitive deficits, and neuroplasticity.
Evolutionary Psychology: Evolutionary psychology emphasizes the role of evolution in shaping human behavior. This approach looks at how behavior has been adaptive in the past and how it contributes to survival and reproduction.
"Philosophical interest in the human mind and behavior dates back to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Persia, Greece, China, and India."
"Psychology as a field of experimental study began in 1854 in Leipzig, Germany when Gustav Fechner created the first theory of how judgments about sensory experiences are made and how to experiment on them."
"Wilhelm Wundt founded in Leipzig, Germany, the first Psychological laboratory dedicated exclusively to psychological research."
"Other important early contributors to the field include Hermann Ebbinghaus, William James, and Ivan Pavlov."
"G. Stanley Hall brought scientific pedagogy to the United States from Germany in the early 1880s."
"In Vienna, meanwhile, Sigmund Freud independently developed an approach to the study of the mind called psychoanalysis."
"Behaviorism proposed emphasizing the study of overt behavior because that could be quantified and easily measured."
"Cognitive science again considers the 'mind' as a subject for investigation, using the tools of cognitive psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, behaviorism, and neurobiology."
"Humanistic psychology has as important proponents Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Gordon Allport, Erich Fromm, and Rollo May."
"Their humanistic concepts are also related to existential psychology, Viktor Frankl's logotherapy, positive psychology..."
"There are conceptual divisions of psychology in so-called 'forces' or 'waves', based on its schools and historical trends."
"This terminology is popularized among the psychologists to differentiate a growing humanism in therapeutic practice from the 1930s onwards, called the 'third force'..."
"In cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, similar terms have also been incorporated, by which 'first wave' is considered the initial behavioral therapy..."
"a 'second wave', Albert Ellis's cognitive one..."
"...a 'third wave', with the acceptance and commitment therapy, which emphasizes one's pursuit of values, methods of self-awareness, acceptance and psychological flexibility..."
"A 'fourth wave' would be the one that incorporates transpersonal concepts and positive flourishing, in a way criticized by some researchers for its heterogeneity and theoretical direction dependent on the therapist's view."
"A 'fifth wave' has now been proposed by a group of researchers seeking to integrate earlier concepts into a unifying theory."
"William James (the American father of pragmatism)"
"Gustav Fechner created the first theory of how judgments about sensory experiences are made and how to experiment on them."