Psychology's Roots

Overview of Psychology's History

• Hermann Ebbinghaus highlighted the longstanding inquiries into the human mind made by philosophers, while psychology as a scientific discipline is relatively new.

Pre-Scientific Origins

• Ancient Inquiry: Philosophical questions about the mind and body.

  • Questions include: How does the mind work? What is knowledge? Are we born with knowledge?

  • Key figures in Ancient Greece:

    • Socrates: Suggested knowledge is innate.

    • Plato: Echoed Socrates, likening innate knowledge to a spider weaving a web.

    • Aristotle: Disagreed with Plato, asserting knowledge is acquired through observation and experience.

Influence of John Locke

• Late 17th century: Introduced the idea of tabula rasa ('blank slate').

  • Knowledge is accumulated from experiences, laying groundwork for empiricism.

  • Philosophy and scientific observation combined to form psychology.

Birth of Psychology as a Science

• Wilhelm Wundt: Established a laboratory in the late 19th century (Leipzig, Germany).

  • Conducted the first psychology experiment measuring reaction time to sound, emphasizing measurement and objectivity in psychology.

Early Schools of Thought

• Structuralism: Developed by Wundt and his student Edward Titchener.

  • Focus on basic cognitive structures and introspection as a self-observational technique.

• Functionalism: Promoted by William James.

  • Concerned with the evolutionary purpose of mental processes, akin to asking why an iPhone is designed a certain way rather than its individual components.

Influential Figures in Psychology

• Significant contributors to the field, demonstrating a diversity of perspectives:

  • Sigmund Freud: Introduced psychoanalytic theory; emphasized the unconscious mind.

  • John B. Watson: Advocated for behaviorism; focused solely on observable behavior.

  • Abraham Maslow: Developed the humanistic perspective, highlighting positive roles of individual choice and potential.

  • Other notable figures:

    • G. Stanley Hall

    • Margaret Washburn

    • Mary Calkins

    • Max Wertheimer

    • B.F. Skinner

Evolution and Current Status of Psychology

• Psychology has transitioned from philosophical discussions to a robust scientific discipline.

• Recognized as both an academic field and applied science, ranking as the second most popular major in U.S. colleges, as per USA Today.

• Ongoing exploration of various psychological theories continues to enhance understanding of human thought and behavior.