Term List History & Perspectives
Trephination: A practice where a hole was drilled or scraped into the skull to release evil spirits or relieve pressure.
Socrates and Plato: Socrates was a philosopher and teacher with a student named Plato. He taught for free and liked to engage in ideas and discussions. They both viewed the mind as separable from the body, believed in something after death, and supported the idea of innate knowledge.
Aristotle: A student of Plato, Aristotle emphasized studying the physical world and behavior to understand the mind. He believed the mind is not separate from the body and that knowledge comes from experience. He is known as the ancestor of scientists.
René Descartes: A philosopher who agreed with Socrates and Plato about the separation of mind and body (innate ideas). He studied how the mind and body communicate, made theories about nerve pathways, and dissected animals to figure out connections.
John Locke: A philosopher who believed the mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa) at birth and that experience shapes knowledge.
Wilhelm Wundt: Created the first psychology laboratory in Germany in 1879, conducted the first experiment measuring reaction time, and is known as the “father of psychology.”
Edward R. Titchener: A student of Wundt who developed structuralism, which broke mental processes into smaller, basic components.
Introspection: A method of self-observation where people report their own thoughts and feelings to study the structure of the mind.
William James: A philosopher and psychologist who developed functionalism, focusing on how mental and behavioral processes help organisms adapt and survive.
Functionalism: The study of the purpose of consciousness and behavior, emphasizing how organisms adapt to their environment.
The Principles of Psychology: A textbook written by William James that introduced psychology as a discipline in the U.S. and presented it to the educated public.
Mary Calkins: A student of William James who was denied a Harvard PhD because of her gender, but became the first female president of the APA.
Psychology definition (1879–1920s): The science of mental life.
Psychology definition (1920s–1960s): The science of observable behavior.
Psychology definition (today): The science of behavior and mental processes.
Example Sentences
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### Trephination
* Ancient doctors sometimes used trephination to treat headaches.
* Trephination involved drilling a small hole in the skull.
* People once believed trephination could release evil spirits.
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### Socrates and Plato
* Socrates taught Plato about philosophy in Athens.
* Plato wrote down many of Socrates’ ideas.
* Both Socrates and Plato believed the soul lived after death.
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### Aristotle
* Aristotle studied nature to understand how the world works.
* He believed knowledge comes from experience.
* Aristotle was a student of Plato but focused more on science.
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### René Descartes
* René Descartes believed the mind and body were separate.
* He studied how nerves and the brain might work together.
* Descartes once said, “I think, therefore I am.”
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### John Locke
* John Locke thought the mind is a blank slate at birth.
* He believed experiences shape who we are.
* Locke’s ideas influenced modern democracy.
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### Wilhelm Wundt
* Wilhelm Wundt created the first psychology lab in Germany.
* He tested how quickly people reacted to sounds and lights.
* Wundt is called the father of psychology.
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### Edward R. Titchener
* Edward Titchener studied the mind by breaking it into parts.
* He called his method structuralism.
* Titchener asked people to describe their thoughts and feelings.
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### Introspection
* Introspection means looking inside your own mind.
* Psychologists used introspection to study emotions.
* By using introspection, people described their thoughts in detail.
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### William James
* William James wrote the first psychology textbook in America.
* He focused on how the mind helps people survive.
* James is known as the father of American psychology.
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### Functionalism
* Functionalism studied how behavior helps us adapt.
* It focused on the purpose of mental processes.
* William James supported functionalism.
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### The Principles of Psychology
William James wrote The Principles of Psychology* in 1890.
* The book introduced psychology to American students.
* The Principles of Psychology is still an important text today.
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### Mary Calkins
* Mary Calkins studied psychology with William James.
* She was denied a Harvard degree because she was a woman.
* Calkins became the first female president of the APA.
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### Psychology definition (1879–1920s): The science of mental life
* In the early years, psychology was called the science of mental life.
* Psychologists focused on thoughts and feelings during this time.
* The definition of psychology was mainly about the mind.
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### Psychology definition (1920s–1960s): The science of observable behavior
* From the 1920s to 1960s, psychology studied only behavior.
* Psychologists observed actions instead of thoughts.
* Behaviorism defined psychology as the science of observable behavior.
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### Psychology definition (today): The science of behavior and mental processes
* Today, psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes.
* Psychologists now study both thoughts and actions.
* The modern definition of psychology combines mind and behavior.
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