APSARA KATUWAL DANGOL
The word 'psychology' comes from two Greek words, psyche (meaning breath, soul, life, or spirit) and logos (meaning the study of).Traditionally, the concept of psychology was believed to be the interest of religious teacher or healers in curing mental illness. The history of psychology began from philosophy to till date modern psychology and recently current period has started.
A. Greek Period
Early history can be traced back from early Greeks where French philosopher Rene Descartes introduced the idea of dualism. Dualism in context that, the mind and body are two entities that interact to form human experience. Physiology also contributed to psychology’s eventual emergence as a scientific discipline.
Socrates (Before 400 BC), the ancient Greek philosopher, famously inscribed the maxim “Know Thyself” which initially means “know your limits”, understand the extent of your abilities, recognize your place in the social hierarchy, acknowledge your mortality.
Before 300 B.C., the ancient Greek naturalist and philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) theorized about learning and memory, emotion and motivation, perception and personality. Aristotle used the term ‘psyche’ to refer to the essence of life.
Plato, another philosopher’s (427-347 BC) is equally respected in defining it as a science of ‘soul’. They never tried to define it as a science. He stated our mind is composition of three part of soul – black horse (id), white horse (super ego), Chariot (ego).
B. Pre-modern Period
During the mid-1800s, a German physiologist named Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) opened the world’s first psychology lab in 1879 at the University of Leipzig, Germany. It initiated the scientific psychology journey so he is also known as father of modern psychology.
Structuralism
During the mid- to late-1800s, in America, William James (1842-1910) published his classic textbook, "The Principles of Psychology,". He is also known as the father of American psychology. Functionalism focused on how behavior actually works to help people live in their environment. Functionalists used methods like direct observation to study the human mind and behavior.
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) an Austrian physician focused on unconscious mind. He proposed theory of personality based on unconscious mind. As Freud was working with patients suffering from hysteria he concluded that early childhood experiences and unconscious impulses contributed to the development of adult personality and behavior. Even in his book, "The Psychopathology of Everyday Life" he has detailed how these unconscious thoughts and impulses are expressed, often through slips of the tongue known as "Freudian slips" and dreams.
C. Modern Period
Behaviorism
During the early 20th-century as another school of thought known as behaviorism was introduced. Behaviorism rejected the emphasis on both the conscious and unconscious mind. Instead, behaviorism focused purely on observable behavior.
Behaviorism had its earliest start with the work of a Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov's research on the digestive systems of dogs led to his discovery of the classical conditioning process, which proposed that behaviors could be learned via conditioned associations.
John B. Watson (American psychologist) soon became one of the strongest advocates of behaviorism. Initially outlining the basic principles of this new school of thought in his 1913 paper Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It.
Psychologist B.F. Skinner furthered the behaviorist perspective with his concept of operant conditioning, which demonstrated the effect of punishment and reinforcement on behavior.
Humanistic psychology
Carl Rogers (American psychologist) focused on humanism.While psychoanalysts looked at unconscious impulses and behaviorists focused on environmental causes, humanistic psychology focused in the power of free will and self-determination.
Also, Abraham Maslow also contributed to humanistic psychology. His theory hierarchy of needs theory of human motivation suggested that people were motivated by increasingly complex needs.As basic needs get fulfilled, humans moves to next level and so on to self actualization state.
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive revolution began during the 1950s and 1960s. The main motive was to take hold in psychology. It tried to replace psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Psychologists were still interested in looking at observable behaviors, but they were also concerned with what was going on inside the mind.
D. Current Period:
Steven Pinker is a Canadian-American cognitive psychologist, linguist, and popular science author. His contribution in psychology is for his advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind.
Leon Festinger is an American social psychologist, he is famous for developing the theory of cognitive dissonance, that suggests that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing them.
Elizabeth Loftus is an an American cognitive psychologist, she is renowned for her work on the malleability of human memory. She has conducted extensive research on the misinformation effect and the nature of false memories.
History of Psychology
The word 'psychology' comes from two Greek words, psyche (meaning breath, soul, life, or spirit) and logos (meaning the study of).Traditionally, the concept of psychology was believed to be the interest of religious teacher or healers in curing mental illness. The history of psychology began from philosophy to till date modern psychology and recently current period has started.
A. Greek Period
Early history can be traced back from early Greeks where French philosopher Rene Descartes introduced the idea of dualism. Dualism in context that, the mind and body are two entities that interact to form human experience. Physiology also contributed to psychology’s eventual emergence as a scientific discipline.
Socrates (Before 400 BC), the ancient Greek philosopher, famously inscribed the maxim “Know Thyself” which initially means “know your limits”, understand the extent of your abilities, recognize your place in the social hierarchy, acknowledge your mortality.
Before 300 B.C., the ancient Greek naturalist and philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) theorized about learning and memory, emotion and motivation, perception and personality. Aristotle used the term ‘psyche’ to refer to the essence of life.
Plato, another philosopher’s (427-347 BC) is equally respected in defining it as a science of ‘soul’. They never tried to define it as a science. He stated our mind is composition of three part of soul – black horse (id), white horse (super ego), Chariot (ego).
B. Pre-modern Period
During the mid-1800s, a German physiologist named Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) opened the world’s first psychology lab in 1879 at the University of Leipzig, Germany. It initiated the scientific psychology journey so he is also known as father of modern psychology.
Structuralism
Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward B. Titchener are the main contributors in structural psychology. It mainly focused on Consciousness. According to the structuralists, human consciousness could be broken down into smaller parts using a process known as introspection.
Functionalism
Functionalism
During the mid- to late-1800s, in America, William James (1842-1910) published his classic textbook, "The Principles of Psychology,". He is also known as the father of American psychology. Functionalism focused on how behavior actually works to help people live in their environment. Functionalists used methods like direct observation to study the human mind and behavior.
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) an Austrian physician focused on unconscious mind. He proposed theory of personality based on unconscious mind. As Freud was working with patients suffering from hysteria he concluded that early childhood experiences and unconscious impulses contributed to the development of adult personality and behavior. Even in his book, "The Psychopathology of Everyday Life" he has detailed how these unconscious thoughts and impulses are expressed, often through slips of the tongue known as "Freudian slips" and dreams.
C. Modern Period
Behaviorism
During the early 20th-century as another school of thought known as behaviorism was introduced. Behaviorism rejected the emphasis on both the conscious and unconscious mind. Instead, behaviorism focused purely on observable behavior.
Behaviorism had its earliest start with the work of a Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov's research on the digestive systems of dogs led to his discovery of the classical conditioning process, which proposed that behaviors could be learned via conditioned associations.
John B. Watson (American psychologist) soon became one of the strongest advocates of behaviorism. Initially outlining the basic principles of this new school of thought in his 1913 paper Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It.
Psychologist B.F. Skinner furthered the behaviorist perspective with his concept of operant conditioning, which demonstrated the effect of punishment and reinforcement on behavior.
Humanistic psychology
Carl Rogers (American psychologist) focused on humanism.While psychoanalysts looked at unconscious impulses and behaviorists focused on environmental causes, humanistic psychology focused in the power of free will and self-determination.
Also, Abraham Maslow also contributed to humanistic psychology. His theory hierarchy of needs theory of human motivation suggested that people were motivated by increasingly complex needs.As basic needs get fulfilled, humans moves to next level and so on to self actualization state.
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive revolution began during the 1950s and 1960s. The main motive was to take hold in psychology. It tried to replace psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Psychologists were still interested in looking at observable behaviors, but they were also concerned with what was going on inside the mind.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936)- research in digestive system, known for learning theory-classical conditioning.
John Broadus Watson (1878-1958)- behaviorism- little Albert experiment.
Burrhus Federic Skinner (1904-1936)- Operant conditioning, humans learn from reinforcement and punishment.D. Current Period:
Steven Pinker is a Canadian-American cognitive psychologist, linguist, and popular science author. His contribution in psychology is for his advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind.
Leon Festinger is an American social psychologist, he is famous for developing the theory of cognitive dissonance, that suggests that people have a motivational drive to reduce dissonance by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, or by justifying or rationalizing them.
Elizabeth Loftus is an an American cognitive psychologist, she is renowned for her work on the malleability of human memory. She has conducted extensive research on the misinformation effect and the nature of false memories.
Still research is going on. So, to sum up, psychology and its theories are still emerging and changing as the time of generation is continually growing and changing. Many school of thoughts have emerged. Also, study of historical backgrounds of psychology let us know its starting point and how it came up as a separate discipline.
About Writer
Apsara Katuwal Dangol, is writer, educator, and psychosocial counselor. She writes articles which covers topics related to general and developmental psychology. She teaches to MA Clinical Psychology students as Developmental Psychology as Mentor at Tri-Chandra College, and General Psychology at Shubhashree College of Management.
Edited on : 24th April, 2024
References: The Origins of Psychology :From Philosophical Beginnings to the Modern Day
https://www.verywellmind.com/a-brief-history-of-psychology-through-the-years-2795245
History of Psychology
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/kpupsyc1100/chapter/history-of-psychology/
The Brief History of Psychology
https://www.careershodh.com/the-brief-history-of-psychology/
History of Psychology
https://opentext.wsu.edu/psych105nusbaum/chapter/history-of-psychology/
Origin of Psychology
https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/psychology/approaches-in-psychology/origin-of-psychology/
What Is Psychology? Definition: Branches & History
https://www.simplypsychology.org/whatispsychology.html
Greek Philosophers - National Geographic Society. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/greek-philosophers/.
The Ancient Greeks, Part Two: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. https://books.byui.edu/history_of_psycholog/the_ancient_greeks_p.
Leon Festinger | Biography & Facts | Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leon-Festinger.
A Historical Timeline of Modern Psychology - Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/timeline-of-modern-psychology-2795599.
Apsara Katuwal Dangol, is writer, educator, and psychosocial counselor. She writes articles which covers topics related to general and developmental psychology. She teaches to MA Clinical Psychology students as Developmental Psychology as Mentor at Tri-Chandra College, and General Psychology at Shubhashree College of Management.
Edited on : 24th April, 2024
References: The Origins of Psychology :From Philosophical Beginnings to the Modern Day
https://www.verywellmind.com/a-brief-history-of-psychology-through-the-years-2795245
History of Psychology
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/kpupsyc1100/chapter/history-of-psychology/
The Brief History of Psychology
https://www.careershodh.com/the-brief-history-of-psychology/
History of Psychology
https://opentext.wsu.edu/psych105nusbaum/chapter/history-of-psychology/
Origin of Psychology
https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/psychology/approaches-in-psychology/origin-of-psychology/
What Is Psychology? Definition: Branches & History
https://www.simplypsychology.org/whatispsychology.html
Greek Philosophers - National Geographic Society. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/greek-philosophers/.
The Ancient Greeks, Part Two: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. https://books.byui.edu/history_of_psycholog/the_ancient_greeks_p.
Leon Festinger | Biography & Facts | Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leon-Festinger.
A Historical Timeline of Modern Psychology - Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/timeline-of-modern-psychology-2795599.
Comments
Post a Comment