Chapter 1: History and Approaches

- Many philosophers scientists have been trying to understand the human mind since the beginning

Before human being became more scientific, it was believed that psychological problems were caused by evil spirits…

In 5,000 B.C. chipping holes in a patient’s skull to allow evil spirits to escape (trephining) was believed to be a way of letting evil spirits out of a patients head, and was therefore used to treat psychological problem.

Science emerges from empiricism (i.e., knowledge through experience) and determinism (i.e., cause-and-effect relationships governing events.
Psychology did not become a scientific discipline until the late 1800s, whereas before the 1600s psychology’s focus was philosophical, and what made up the mind was often tied to the soul.
Many other scientific disciplines developed during the 1600s (before psychology.

Philosophical influences of psychology date to 430 B.C. when Hippocrates attempted to explain moods, emotions, and behaviors…
- Hippocrates theorized that moods, emotions, and behaviors were caused by an excess or lack of body fluids, which he called humour.
- Hippocrates believed these humours were blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.
Sometime in second century A.D., Galen expanded on Hippocrates theory on moods, emotions, and behaviors, which allowed for the “mixing” of the four humours; which could result in any of nine “temperaments.”
Galen’s temperamental categories of each humour
- Sanguine Temperament (blood): Associated with air and is thought to include: carefree, pleasure-seeking, talkative, and sociable people. People with this temperament make friends easily and struggle with with forgetful and seeing things all the way through.