Psychology
Content
PSYCHOLOGY is the study of mind and behavior. It is an academic
discipline and an applied science which seeks to understand individuals and
groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases.
GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY:
1.To describe.
One of the first goals of psychology is simply to describe behavior. Through
describing the behavior of humans and other animals, we are better able to
understand it and gain a better perspective on what is considered normal
and abnormal. Psychology researchers utilize a range of research methods to
help describe behavior including naturalistic observation, case
studies, correlational studies, surveys, and self-report inventories.
2.To Explain
As you might imagine, psychologists are also interested in explaining
behavior in addition to merely describing it. Why do people do the things
they do? What factors contribute to development, personality, social
behavior, and mental health problems.
3. To Predict
Not surprisingly, another primary goal of psychology is to make predictions
about how we think and act. Once we understand more about what happens
and why it happens, we can use that information to make predictions about
when, why, and how it might happen again in the future.
4. To Change
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, psychology strives to change,
influence, or control behavior to make constructive and lasting changes in
people's lives. In our previous example, researchers might take what they
know about the link between scores on an aptitude test and dropout rates
and use the information to develop programs designed to help students stay
in school. From treating mental illness to enhancing human well-being,
changing human behavior is a huge focus of psychology.
HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY:
Today, psychology is defined as "the scientific study of behavior and mental
processes". Philosophical interest in the mind and behavior dates back to the
ancient civilizations ofEgypt, Persia, Greece, China, and India. For a
condensed overview
The history of psychology as a scholarly study of the mind and behavior
dates back to the Ancient Greeks. There is also evidence of psychological
thought in ancient Egypt. Psychology was a branch of philosophy until the
1870s, when it developed as an independent scientific discipline in Germany
and the United States. Psychology borders on various other fields
including physiology,neuroscience, artificial
intelligence, sociology, anthropology, as well as philosophy and other
components of the humanities. See theTimeline of Psychology article.
Psychology as a self-conscious field of experimental study began in 1879,
when Wilhelm Wundt founded the first laboratory dedicated exclusively to
psychological research in Leipzig, Germany. Wundt was also the first person
to refer to himself as a psychologist. Other important early contributors to
the field include Hermann Ebbinghaus (a pioneer in the study
of memory), William James (the American father of pragmatism), and Ivan
Pavlov (who developed the procedures associated with classical
conditioning).
Soon after the development of experimental psychology, various kinds of
applied psychology appeared. G. Stanley Hall brought scientific pedagogy to
the United States from Germany in the early 1880s. John Dewey's
educational theory of the 1890s was another example. Also in the
1890s, Hugo Münsterberg began writing about the application of psychology
to industry, law, and other fields. Lightner Witmer established the first
psychological clinic in the 1890s. James McKeen Cattell adapted Francis
Galton's anthropometric methods to generate the first program of mental
testing in the 1890s. In Vienna, meanwhile, Sigmund Freuddeveloped an
independent approach to the study of the mind called psychoanalysis, which
has been widely influential.
The 20th century saw a reaction to Edward Titchener's critique of Wundt's
empiricism. This contributed to the formulation ofbehaviorism by John B.
Watson, which was popularized by B. F. Skinner. Behaviorism proposed
emphasizing the study of overt behavior, because that could be quantified
and easily measured. Early behaviorists considered study of the "mind" too
vague for productive scientific study. However, Skinner and his colleagues
did study thinking as a form of covert behavior to which they could apply the
same principles as overt (publicly observable) behavior. The final decades of
the 20th century saw the rise of cognitive science, an interdisciplinary
approach to studying the human mind. Cognitive science again considers the
"mind" as a subject for investigation, using the tools of evolutionary
psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, behaviorism,
and neurobiology. This form of investigation has proposed that a wide
understanding of the human mind is possible, and that such an
understanding may be applied to other research domains, such as artificial
intelligence.
FAMOUS PSYCHOLOGISTS:
1. B. F. Skinner
In the 2002 study ranking the 99 most eminent psychologists of the 20th
century, B.F. Skinner topped the list. Skinner's staunch behaviorism made
him a dominating force in psychology and therapy techniques based on his
theories are still used extensively today, including behavior modification and
token economies.
2. Sigmund Freud
When people think of psychology, many tend to think of Freud. His work
supported the belief that not all mental illnesses have physiological causes
and he also offered evidence that cultural differences have an impact on
psychology and behavior. His work and writings contributed to our
understanding of personality, clinical psychology, human development,
and abnormal psychology.
3. Albert Bandura
Bandura's work is considered part of the cognitive revolution in psychology
that began in the late 1960s. His social learning theory stressed the
importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling. "Learning
would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to
rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do,"
Bandura explained in his 1977 book Social Learning Theory.
4. Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget's work had a profound influence on psychology, especially our
understanding children's intellectual development. His research contributed
to the growth of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, genetic
epistemology, and education reform. Albert Einstein once described Piaget's
observations on children's intellectual growth and thought processes as a
discovery "so simple that only a genius could have thought of it."
5. Carl Rogers
Carl Rogers placed emphasis on human potential, which had an enormous
influence on both psychology and education. He became one of the major
humanist thinkers and an eponymous influence in therapy with his "Rogerian
therapy." As described by his daughter Natalie Rogers, he was "a model for
compassion and democratic ideals in his own life, and in his work as an
educator, writer, and therapist."
6. William James
Psychologist and philosopher William James is often referred to as the father
of American psychology. His 1200-page text, The Principles of Psychology,
became a classic on the subject and his teachings and writings helped
establish psychology as a science. In addition, James contributed to
functionalism, pragmatism, and influenced many students of psychology
during his 35-year teaching career.
7. Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson's stage theory of psychosocial development helped create
interest and research on human development through the lifespan. An ego
psychologist who studied with Anna Freud, Erikson expanded psychoanalytic
theory by exploring development throughout the life, including events of
childhood, adulthood, and old age.
8. Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist whose research on conditioned
reflexes influenced the rise of behaviorism in psychology. Pavlov's
experimental methods helped move psychology away from introspection and
subjective assessments to objective measurement of behavior.
9. Lev Vygotsky
Vygotsky was a contemporary of some better known psychologists including
Piaget, Freud, Skinner, and Pavlov, yet his work never achieved the same
eminence during his lifetime. This is largely because many of his writing
remained inaccessible to the Western world until quite recently. It was during
the 1970s that many of his writings were translated from Russian, but his
work has become enormously influential in recent decades, particularly in
the fields of educational psychology and child development.
10.Harlow, Harry
Harry Harlow was a psychologist best known for his studies on affection and
development using rhesus monkeys and surrogate wire or terrycloth
mothers.
discipline and an applied science which seeks to understand individuals and
groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases.
GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY:
1.To describe.
One of the first goals of psychology is simply to describe behavior. Through
describing the behavior of humans and other animals, we are better able to
understand it and gain a better perspective on what is considered normal
and abnormal. Psychology researchers utilize a range of research methods to
help describe behavior including naturalistic observation, case
studies, correlational studies, surveys, and self-report inventories.
2.To Explain
As you might imagine, psychologists are also interested in explaining
behavior in addition to merely describing it. Why do people do the things
they do? What factors contribute to development, personality, social
behavior, and mental health problems.
3. To Predict
Not surprisingly, another primary goal of psychology is to make predictions
about how we think and act. Once we understand more about what happens
and why it happens, we can use that information to make predictions about
when, why, and how it might happen again in the future.
4. To Change
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, psychology strives to change,
influence, or control behavior to make constructive and lasting changes in
people's lives. In our previous example, researchers might take what they
know about the link between scores on an aptitude test and dropout rates
and use the information to develop programs designed to help students stay
in school. From treating mental illness to enhancing human well-being,
changing human behavior is a huge focus of psychology.
HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY:
Today, psychology is defined as "the scientific study of behavior and mental
processes". Philosophical interest in the mind and behavior dates back to the
ancient civilizations ofEgypt, Persia, Greece, China, and India. For a
condensed overview
The history of psychology as a scholarly study of the mind and behavior
dates back to the Ancient Greeks. There is also evidence of psychological
thought in ancient Egypt. Psychology was a branch of philosophy until the
1870s, when it developed as an independent scientific discipline in Germany
and the United States. Psychology borders on various other fields
including physiology,neuroscience, artificial
intelligence, sociology, anthropology, as well as philosophy and other
components of the humanities. See theTimeline of Psychology article.
Psychology as a self-conscious field of experimental study began in 1879,
when Wilhelm Wundt founded the first laboratory dedicated exclusively to
psychological research in Leipzig, Germany. Wundt was also the first person
to refer to himself as a psychologist. Other important early contributors to
the field include Hermann Ebbinghaus (a pioneer in the study
of memory), William James (the American father of pragmatism), and Ivan
Pavlov (who developed the procedures associated with classical
conditioning).
Soon after the development of experimental psychology, various kinds of
applied psychology appeared. G. Stanley Hall brought scientific pedagogy to
the United States from Germany in the early 1880s. John Dewey's
educational theory of the 1890s was another example. Also in the
1890s, Hugo Münsterberg began writing about the application of psychology
to industry, law, and other fields. Lightner Witmer established the first
psychological clinic in the 1890s. James McKeen Cattell adapted Francis
Galton's anthropometric methods to generate the first program of mental
testing in the 1890s. In Vienna, meanwhile, Sigmund Freuddeveloped an
independent approach to the study of the mind called psychoanalysis, which
has been widely influential.
The 20th century saw a reaction to Edward Titchener's critique of Wundt's
empiricism. This contributed to the formulation ofbehaviorism by John B.
Watson, which was popularized by B. F. Skinner. Behaviorism proposed
emphasizing the study of overt behavior, because that could be quantified
and easily measured. Early behaviorists considered study of the "mind" too
vague for productive scientific study. However, Skinner and his colleagues
did study thinking as a form of covert behavior to which they could apply the
same principles as overt (publicly observable) behavior. The final decades of
the 20th century saw the rise of cognitive science, an interdisciplinary
approach to studying the human mind. Cognitive science again considers the
"mind" as a subject for investigation, using the tools of evolutionary
psychology, linguistics, computer science, philosophy, behaviorism,
and neurobiology. This form of investigation has proposed that a wide
understanding of the human mind is possible, and that such an
understanding may be applied to other research domains, such as artificial
intelligence.
FAMOUS PSYCHOLOGISTS:
1. B. F. Skinner
In the 2002 study ranking the 99 most eminent psychologists of the 20th
century, B.F. Skinner topped the list. Skinner's staunch behaviorism made
him a dominating force in psychology and therapy techniques based on his
theories are still used extensively today, including behavior modification and
token economies.
2. Sigmund Freud
When people think of psychology, many tend to think of Freud. His work
supported the belief that not all mental illnesses have physiological causes
and he also offered evidence that cultural differences have an impact on
psychology and behavior. His work and writings contributed to our
understanding of personality, clinical psychology, human development,
and abnormal psychology.
3. Albert Bandura
Bandura's work is considered part of the cognitive revolution in psychology
that began in the late 1960s. His social learning theory stressed the
importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling. "Learning
would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to
rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do,"
Bandura explained in his 1977 book Social Learning Theory.
4. Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget's work had a profound influence on psychology, especially our
understanding children's intellectual development. His research contributed
to the growth of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, genetic
epistemology, and education reform. Albert Einstein once described Piaget's
observations on children's intellectual growth and thought processes as a
discovery "so simple that only a genius could have thought of it."
5. Carl Rogers
Carl Rogers placed emphasis on human potential, which had an enormous
influence on both psychology and education. He became one of the major
humanist thinkers and an eponymous influence in therapy with his "Rogerian
therapy." As described by his daughter Natalie Rogers, he was "a model for
compassion and democratic ideals in his own life, and in his work as an
educator, writer, and therapist."
6. William James
Psychologist and philosopher William James is often referred to as the father
of American psychology. His 1200-page text, The Principles of Psychology,
became a classic on the subject and his teachings and writings helped
establish psychology as a science. In addition, James contributed to
functionalism, pragmatism, and influenced many students of psychology
during his 35-year teaching career.
7. Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson's stage theory of psychosocial development helped create
interest and research on human development through the lifespan. An ego
psychologist who studied with Anna Freud, Erikson expanded psychoanalytic
theory by exploring development throughout the life, including events of
childhood, adulthood, and old age.
8. Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist whose research on conditioned
reflexes influenced the rise of behaviorism in psychology. Pavlov's
experimental methods helped move psychology away from introspection and
subjective assessments to objective measurement of behavior.
9. Lev Vygotsky
Vygotsky was a contemporary of some better known psychologists including
Piaget, Freud, Skinner, and Pavlov, yet his work never achieved the same
eminence during his lifetime. This is largely because many of his writing
remained inaccessible to the Western world until quite recently. It was during
the 1970s that many of his writings were translated from Russian, but his
work has become enormously influential in recent decades, particularly in
the fields of educational psychology and child development.
10.Harlow, Harry
Harry Harlow was a psychologist best known for his studies on affection and
development using rhesus monkeys and surrogate wire or terrycloth
mothers.
