A Brief History of Psychology

1. Psychology 001Introduction to PsychologyChristopher Gade, PhDOffice: 621 HeafeyOffice hours: F 3-6 and by apt. Email: gadecj@gmail.com Class WF 7:00-8:30

2. A Brief History of Psychology

3. Why do we need to know the history of psychology? • To know why our famous historical figures thought the way they did, and addressed the topics for which they became famous. • To sound intelligent when we discuss psychology with our friends. • To get an idea of why current areas of psychology exist today. • History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity. • CiceroPro PublioSestio

4. The Beginning • Psychology’s roots come from the field of philosophy. Within the early conception of this field, a number of key issues were often addressed. Three of the major ones were… • The mind/body/brain problem • Are the mind, brain, and body independent of each other? • Blank slate dilemma • Are humans born preprogrammed with behaviors and knowledge or not? • Free will versus determinism • Do we have consciousness, or are we automatons responding to stimuli in our environment?

5. Socrates (469-399 BC) • Often cited as one of the first psychologists. • Most of what we know of him was from one of his “students” Plato. • Supposedly addressed the concept of the soul in his dialogues, suggesting that it was separate from the body. This concept was later defined as “dualism”. • Most likely believed that morality and intelligence were things that were contained within the human at birth (innate). • Best known for his attempts to study ideas through his “Socratic Method” of teaching.

6. Aristotle (384-322 BC) • The “intellectual grandson” of Socrates. • Studied under Plato at the Academy. • Well renowned for his attempts to study a large spectrum of topics, not just philosophy. • Pushed for a more scientific attempt to understand the world and the mind. • “theory must follow fact” *Came to conclude that the soul was inseparable from the body. *Reasoned that our intelligence is not preexisting, but instead result from experiences.

7. Our Modern World of Psychology • Wilhelm Wundt (pronounce voondt) • Established the first “psychological” laboratory in Leipzig, Germany (1879). • Measured different types of sensory and physiological responses to stimuli. • keys example • Disney movies example • “What are the components of experience, or mind?”

8. Edward Titchener • Student of Wundt’s • Moved to the US and began teaching at Cornell University in 1892 • Started an area of research labeled as “structuralism” • The study of the basic elements and structures that compose the mind. • The majority of his research was done through a form of research called introspection* • Orange example *This was originally designed by Wundt, but was used extensively by Titchener in his research

9. William James • Best known for his introduction of the concept of “functionalism” in psychology. • “Don’t concern yourselves with the parts and structures of the mind and brain, instead ask: what is the purpose behind the actions of our mind?” • The eye example • Wrote THE most influential book in the field of psychology: The Principles of Psychology (1890)

10. Sigmund Freud • His theories made the field of psychology not only popular with the majority of the population, it also made it “sexy”. • Introduced his ideas of the subconscious, repression, and psychoanalysis in his book “The Interpretation of Dreams (1900)”. • Despite his many shortcomings, a number of his ideas and methodologies are still in circulation today (though most of them have been either restructured, or entirely removed from popular psychology).

11. A Move to Behaviorism (1920’s) • A few years after Freud made psychology popular, the psychological community shifted their focus in an entirely different direction. • “The mind is too vast, our measurements too limited, and our perceptions to vague and biased to truly understand the function of our minds through measurement.” • This change was believed to be based on a reaction to: • The rapid growth of the field • The direction that the field was taking • The mystical based interpretation of the field

12. The Cognitive Revolution (1970’s) • Behaviorism, though very helpful in a number of areas, could not explain everything. • latent learning example • language acquisition example • New forms of measurement (EEG, fMRI) had also begun to separate the field of psychology away from a strictly behaviorist approach.

13. Today’s Modern World of Psychology • Current goals • Different areas of psychology • What do psychologists actually do?

14. The Goal of Psychologist • Despite what you may be hoping for, psychologists are not able to “control” human behavior. • Their goal is to understand and define how the mind and body play roles in our interpretations, desires, approaches, and behaviors.

15. Different Areas of Psychology • Biological Psychology • Evolutionary Psychology • Motivation Psychology • Cognitive Psychology • Behavioral Psychology • Personality Psychology • Developmental Psychology • Social Psychology • Cultural Psychology • Industrial/Organizational Psychology • Clinical Psychology

16. But, what do psychologists do? • With a BA or a BS: • not much in the area of psychology • With an MA: • Ergonomics, teaching, I/O, marketing, counseling, sales, forensics, research • With a higher degree (PhD, PsyD, etc.) • Research, teaching, clinical work

17. Different Types of Clinical Psychology • Clinical Psychologist • Psychiatrist • Psychoanalyst • Clinical Social Worker • Counseling Psychologist • Forensic Psychologist

19. What you need to know… • Most of today’s topics in psychology can be traced back to much earlier roots. • There is a wide array of different topics that psychologists address. • Psychologists can be found in a large variety of different occupational fields.