Question

Write short note in 50 to 60 words.

History of psychology as a science.

Answer 1

History of psychology as a science:

1. Psychology begins as a branch of Philosophy: The origins of psychology can be dated back to the Ancient Greeks. Psychology did not arise as a science out of nowhere. Psychology was a branch of philosophy until the 1870s.
2. Psychology emerges as a separate discipline in 1879: Wilhelm Wundt, a German psychologist, founded the world's first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879. This event is regarded as the official beginning of psychology as a distinct scientific study.
3. Emergence of structuralism: Structuralism is widely regarded as the first school of thought in psychology. Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward B. Titchener advocated structuralism. Wilhelm Wundt used the method of introspection to study conscious experiences like sensation, perception, etc.
4. Emergence of Functionalism: William James was an advocate of functionalism. He is considered the “Father of American Psychology”. He focused on the study of human consciousness.
5. Emergence of Psychoanalysis: In contrast to the early schools of thinking, an Austrian physician called Sigmund Freud proposed a theory of psychoanalysis in the early 1890s. He valued the study of the unconscious mind.
6. Emergence of Behaviourism: During the early 20th century, an American psychologist named John B. Watson promoted a new school of thought known as Behaviorism. Behaviourism disregarded both the study of conscious experiences and the unconscious mind, making psychology a more scientific science by focusing on observable behaviors.
7. Emergence of Humanistic Psychology: The first half of the 20th century was dominated by psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Carl Rogers, an American psychologist, supported humanistic psychology in the second half of the twentieth century. In contrast to the study of unconsciousness advocated by psychoanalysis and determinism championed by behaviorism, humanistic psychology stresses the study of power of free will, self-determination, and self-actualization.
8. Emergence of Cognitivism: During the 1950s and 1960s, the new worldview known as Cognitivism replaced Psychoanalysis and Behaviourism. Ulric Neisser, an American psychologist, is widely regarded as the originator of Cognitivism. Researchers in Cognitive Psychology use technologies such as MRI and PET scans to examine higher cognitive processes such as memory, decision-making, problem-solving, intellect, language, etc.