Introduction to Psychology 1/IPSY101/History/Young science
| “ | Psychology has a long past but a short history. | ” |
| —Herman Ebbinghaus | ||
Though it is relatively new as a formal academic subject, the questions that psychology seeks to answer have been around since the beginning of humankind. In this learning pathway, we will review the history of psychology as a discipline, by learning about both its ancient philosophical (“prescientific”) roots and its contemporary practice as a scientific field of study.
Complementary schools of thought
As you progress through the readings and activities in this learning pathway, consider how each distinct school of thought may have emerged, at least in part, as a reaction to those that came earlier. The insights of each these different traditions has enriched the study of psychology. As such, you should resist the urge to thinking of a single school of thought as the "correct" one. Instead, notice how well they complement one another.
The founders of psychology as a science
Psychology is a relatively young science with its experimental roots in the 19th century, compared, for example, to human physiology, which dates much earlier. As mentioned, anyone interested in exploring issues related to the mind generally did so in a philosophical context prior to the 19th century. Two men, both working in the 19th century, are generally credited as being the founders of psychology as a science and academic discipline that was distinct from philosophy. Their names were Wilhelm Wundt and William James.
Overview of the schools of thought in psychology
In this learning pathway will provide an overview of the shifts in paradigms that have influenced psychology from Wundt and James through today. We will summarise the following schools of thought:
- Wundt and structuralism
- James and functionalism
- Freud and psychoanalytic theory
- Wertheimer, Koffka, Köhler, and gestalt psychology
- Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, and behaviourism
- Maslow, Rogers, and humanism
- The cognitive revolution
- Feminist and multicultural psychology
