History of Psychology

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts in the history of psychology, highlighting significant figures, movements, and ideas that shaped the discipline.

Empiricism

The theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses.

Psychophysics

The study of the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce.

Wilhelm Wundt

Considered one of the founding figures of modern psychology; established the first psychology laboratory in 1879.

Structuralism

An early school of psychology that aimed to identify the basic elements of consciousness and mental processes.

Functionalism

A psychological perspective that focuses on the purpose of consciousness and behavior rather than its structure.

Association for Psychological Science (APS)

An organization founded in 1988 to advance psychological science; originally known as the American Psychological Society.

Behaviorism

A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior.

Cognitive psychology

A branch of psychology that focuses on the study of mental processes such as perception, memory, and reasoning.

American Psychological Association (APA)

The largest professional organization of psychologists in the United States, established in 1892.

Clinical psychology

A branch of psychology focused on diagnosing and treating mental disorders.

The Magic Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two

A famous paper by George Miller indicating limits on how much information can be held in working memory.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Margaret Floy Washburn

The first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States, completed in 1894.

Francis Cecil Sumner

The first African American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States, achieved in 1920.

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)

Founded in 1936, this organization focuses on the application of psychology to social issues.

Eugenics

The belief in improving the genetic quality of the human population, often associated with controversial policies and movements.

Mary Whiton Calkins

The first woman president of the APA, she completed her doctoral requirements at Harvard but was not awarded a degree.

Lightner Witmer

Founder of clinical psychology in America; opened a psychological clinic at the University of Pennsylvania.

Hugo Munsterberg

A psychologist known for applying psychology to fields such as industrial psychology and forensic psychology.

Lillian Gilbreth

A pioneering industrial psychologist known for her work in efficiency and ergonomics.

Gestalt psychology

An approach that emphasizes the human ability to perceive entire patterns or configurations, not just individual components.

John B. Watson

A prominent figure in behaviorism; advocated for psychology to be a purely scientific discipline focusing on observable behavior.

Cognitive neuroscience

An interdisciplinary field that studies the biological processes that underlie cognition.

Henry Goddard

A psychologist who brought Binet's intelligence test to the U.S. and contributed to the field of mental testing.

Empiricism

The theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses.

Psychophysics

The study of the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they produce.

Wilhelm Wundt

Considered one of the founding figures of modern psychology; established the first psychology laboratory in 1879.

Structuralism

An early school of psychology that aimed to identify the basic elements of consciousness and mental processes.

Functionalism

A psychological perspective that focuses on the purpose of consciousness and behavior rather than its structure.

Association for Psychological Science (APS)

An organization founded in 1988 to advance psychological science; originally known as the American Psychological Society.

Behaviorism

A theoretical orientation based on the premise that scientific psychology should study only observable behavior.

Cognitive psychology

A branch of psychology that focuses on the study of mental processes such as perception, memory, and reasoning.

American Psychological Association (APA)

The largest professional organization of psychologists in the United States, established in 1892.

Clinical psychology

A branch of psychology focused on diagnosing and treating mental disorders.

The Magic Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two

A famous paper by George Miller indicating limits on how much information can be held in working memory.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Margaret Floy Washburn

The first woman to earn a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States, completed in 1894.

Francis Cecil Sumner

The first African American to earn a Ph.D. in psychology in the United States, achieved in 1920.

The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)

Founded in 1936, this organization focuses on the application of psychology to social issues.

Eugenics

The belief in improving the genetic quality of the human population, often associated with controversial policies and movements.

Mary Whiton Calkins

The first woman president of the APA, she completed her doctoral requirements at Harvard but was not awarded a degree.

Lightner Witmer

Founder of clinical psychology in America; opened a psychological clinic at the University of Pennsylvania.

Hugo Munsterberg

A psychologist known for applying psychology to fields such as industrial psychology and forensic psychology.

Lillian Gilbreth

A pioneering industrial psychologist known for her work in efficiency and ergonomics.

Gestalt psychology

An approach that emphasizes the human ability to perceive entire patterns or configurations, not just individual components.

John B. Watson

A prominent figure in behaviorism; advocated for psychology to be a purely scientific discipline focusing on observable behavior.

Cognitive neuroscience

An interdisciplinary field that studies the biological processes that underlie cognition.

Henry Goddard

A psychologist who brought Binet's intelligence test to the U.S. and contributed to the field of mental testing.

William James

An influential American psychologist and philosopher, recognized as one of the founders of functionalism.

Sigmund Freud

The founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst.

Psychoanalysis

A school of thought and a therapeutic technique developed by Sigmund Freud, focusing on the role of unconscious drives and early childhood experiences in shaping personality and behavior.

Humanistic psychology

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the study of the whole person, focusing on concepts such as free will, self-efficacy, and self-actualization. Key figures include Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.

Ivan Pavlov

A Russian physiologist known for his work in classical conditioning, demonstrating that learning can occur through association between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.