History of Psychology

Definition, Origin, Situation, and Profession

Psychology

the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Behavior is to

Overt

mental is to

covert

Origin

formally began in 1897 by Wilhem Wundt, the father of Psychology.

Wilhem Wundt

Created Structuralism, the idea that consciousness can be broken down to basic elements through a method called Objective Introspection.

William James

Student of Wundt, creating Functionalism, the idea concerned with the adaptive mind, on how it evolves to survive.

Examples of Functionalism

flight of fight, defense mechanism

These two concept of Psychology are not used anymore.

Structuralism and Functionalism

3 Influential Approaches

Gestalt Psychology

Psychoanalysis

Behaviourism

Gestalt Psychology

created by Max Wertheimer, opposes Structuralism, where the whole is said to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Psychoanalysis

created by Sigmund Freud, flowing against the sensory approach where it proposes the unconscious mind’s existence driven by childhood experiences.

Behaviourism

created by Ivan Pavlov and John Watson, ignores the concept of unconsciousness, where observable traits were considered the real leading cause of behaviors.

Modern Psychological Perspectives

1. Modern Psychodynamic Perspective

2. Behavioral Perspective

3. Humanistic Perspective (Maslow and Rogers)

4. Cognitive Perspective

5. Sociocultural Perspective

6. Biophysiological Perspective

7. Evolutionary Perspective

Modern Psychodynamic Perspective

based on Freud’s theory, it focuses on empirical childhood effects on current behaviors.

Behavioral Perspective

created by Watson and B. F. Skinner, focuses on how behaviors are learned either by Classical or Operant Conditioning.

Humanistic Perspective

created by Maslow and Rogers, also called the third force in Psychology positioning that humans are not merely products of desires but have free will.

Cognitive Perspective

more on the brain, memory, sensory effect on human behavior.

Sociocultural Perspective

when people decides as influenced by the community they are in, and follow norm to avoid alienation

Biophysiological Perspective

neuroscientific events directly explain human and animal behavior

Evolutionary Perspective

focuses on biological bases for universal human mental characteristics such as lying, partnership, and enjoying.

Psychology Professions

1. Psychologists - taken via RPsy Board Exam; an undergrad and masters on Psych, a scholar but not a practitioner

2. Psychometrician - taken via RPM board exam, like a nurse in Psych

3. Psychiatrist - taken via Physician LE; like a doctor in Psych