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Merit of personality theories
History and early approaches in psychology
Merit of personality theories
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Psychology
Throughout the history of psychology, Psychologist have tested hypotheses on how the human mind processes information; because the human mind is so complex, modern psychologists try to explore more of the brain as technology improves. People always wonder what psychology really means and some believe is a mind reading technique.
Psychology is a relatively new field in the realm of the sciences with only about 130 years old. Wilhelm Wundt was known as the “father of psychology” the first psychologist. Wundt was in the philosophy filed in the beginning of his study; later on in his life, he opened the first psychology laboratory. A well known method in Wundt’s experiment was the Introspection, “this was a description of an experience broken down into its simplest terms, its elements” (Watson, Evans 278). William James was one of the most famous founder of American psychology. He was interested in how people are influenced by their environment, “rather than breaking consciousness down into its elements, he preferred to look at the human experience as complete wholes” (McMahon, Judith 8). The most well known and popular psychologist in modern day is Sigmund Freud, an Austrian Physician in the late 1800’s. Freud established the theory of personality, in his view, “problems that appear in adolescence or adulthood can be tranced to things that happened in the first five or six years of life” (McMahon, Judith 7). Freud’s concepts of mind, the conscious, pre-conscious, and the unconscious are still widely used in present books and movies.
Psychology involves many different fields, such as the cognitive psychology, behavioral psychology, developmental psychology, biological psychology, personality psychology, ...
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...y, and Pathology. By Vinod Krishnan. Perf. Vinod Krishnan. Youtube. DukeMedicine, 26 Aug. 10. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
Robert, Stickgold. "Phi Kappa Phi Forum." The Function of Dreaming 93.2 (2013): 11-13. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 22 Oct. 2013. .
Watson, Robert I., Sr., and Rand B. Evans. "William James and G. Stanley Hall: The Founding of Scientific Psychology in the United State." The Great Psychologists. 5th ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1991. 363-89. Print.
Magoon, Micheal A., and Thomas S. Critchfield. "CONCURRENT SCHEDULES OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT: DIFFERENTIAL-IMPACT AND DIFFERENTIAL-OUTCOMES HYPOTHESES." Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior 90.1 (2008): 1-22. ProQuest Education Journals. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. .
The World of Psychology. (2002). A Pearson Education Company. Boston, MA: Samuel Wood & Ellen Green Wood p. 593
Psychology can be broadly defined as the scientific and systematic study of people’s behavior and mental processes.
The development of psychology like all other sciences started with great minds debating unknown topics and searching for unknown answers. Early philosophers and psychologists such as Sir Francis Bacon and Charles Darwin took a scientific approach to psychology by introducing the ideas of measurement and biology into the way an indi...
The field of psychology is a discipline, originated from many branches of science. It has applications from within a complete scope of avenues, from psychotherapy to professional decision-making. The flexibility and versatility of this field reflects its importance and demands in-depth analysis. Psychology was a division of philosophy until it developed independent scientific disciplines. The history of psychology was a scholarly study of the mind and behavior that dates back to the beginning of civilization. There are important details from previous theory psychologist, research have contributed to behaviorism approaches and have contributed towards specific current behavioral practices. Contemporary behavior therapy began to emerge into distinct practical and core learning theories concerning the needs and knowledge engaging cultural and professional differences.
Hergenhahn, B. R. (2009). An introduction to the history of psychology (6th ed., p. 224,
History shows that signs of mental illness and abnormal behavior have been documented as far back as the early Greeks however, it was not viewed the same as it is today. The mentally ill were previously referred to as mad, insane, lunatics, or maniacs. W.B. Maher and B.A. Maher (1985) note how many of the terms use had roots in old English words that meant emotionally deranged, hurt, unhealthy, or diseased. Although early explanations were not accurate, the characteristics of the mentally ill have remained the same and these characteristics are used to diagnose disorders to date. Cultural norms have always been used to assess and define abnormal behavior. Currently, we have a decent understanding of the correlates and influences of mental illness. Although we do not have complete knowledge, psychopathologists have better resources, technology, and overall research skills than those in ancient times.
Boneau, C. A., Kimble, G. A., and Wertheimer, M. (1996) Portraits of Pioneers in Psychology, Volume II. Washington D.C. and Mahwah, NJ: American Psychological Association & Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
In the late 1800s, psychology was established as an independent discipline. It was the work of Wilhelm Wundt that contributed the most in the field of psychology. Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) established the first psychology laboratory in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany. He studied different conscious experiences in the laboratory (Guardian, 2009). He defined psychology as a science of consciousness or conscious experience. Scientific research methods were used to investigate reaction times. Wundt studied internal mental processes by using experimental methods.
Psychology started, and had a long history, as a topic within the fields of philosophy and physiology. It then became an independent field of its own through the work of the German Wilhelm Wundt, the founder of experimental psychology and structuralism. Wundt stressed the use of scientific methods in psychology, particularly through the use of introspection. In 1875, a room was set-aside for Wundt for demonstrations in what we now call sensation and perception. This is the same year that William James set up a similar lab at Harvard. Wilhelm Wundt and William James are usually thought of as the fathers of psychology, as well as the founders of psychology?s first two great ?schools? Structuralism and Functionalism. Psychologist Edward B Titchner said; ?to study the brain and the unconscious we should break it into its structural elements, after that we can construct it into a whole and understand what it does.? (psicafe.com)
In the world of psychology many people connect modern psychology to psychologists such as Sigmund Freud, Ivan Pavlov, and B.F. Skinner. These theorist all contributed to the development of modern psychology. Though William James was known to be the main important founder of psychology through his works and studies he performed through his lifetime, he is not taken that much in account. William James was a brilliant learning theorist who made vast contributions to the studies of psychology. He was an American philosopher as well as a psychologist.
Psychology is the study of the mind, its biology, and behavior if the individual. The father of psychology, Wilhelm Wundt, used objective measurement and controlled analyzing to find and emphasize separation between psychology and philosophy (McLeod). Wundt opened the Institute for Experimental Psychology at the University of Leipzig in Germany in 1879, using his background in physiology to study reactions and sensations (McLeod). There is no doubt that he, along with the later help of Sigmund Freud, launched what is now modern psychology. Psychology and its research helped the world understand the inner workings of the mind and how it affects everyone around us.
The History of Psychology In order to discuss Psychology's history, it is important to understand that psychology still does not have one unifying approach unlike the natural sciences; even the definition of Psychology and what it truly means is still undecided. However I shall attempt to review chronologically its philosophical origins, include how the science of Physics and Biology were placed in history and how they influenced research and determined the development of Psychology as its recognised today. Beginning with the philosophers Plato and Aristotle (between 428- 347) in ancient Greece, they began to ask questions on learning, motivation, memory, dreaming and perception. Reluctant to measure, Plato and Aristotle believed the truth could be discovered through self-analysis.
In order, to understand the future is the crucial to study the past. Therefore, knowing the successes, and possible mistakes within the psychological field can only help in future psychological developments. In examining the history of the psychology, upcoming psychology students are able to talk over the age-old debate of nature versus nurture. The beliefs of Darwinism still influence the field today.
The main idea of psychology is one of the most misunderstood areas of modern study. The history of psychology is very rich and important for modern day treatment for people with mental disorders. Modern day psychology is based on understanding why people feel and act how they do. Psychology is on the most interesting and different areas of study and people should give it more credit than it already has.
Psychology’s main definition is the study of the mind, behaviors, and disorders. Psychology also has many other definitions: “the science of the mind and behavior, the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group, the study of the mind and behavior in relation to a particular field of knowledge or activity, and a theory or system of psychology” (). Psychology can tie in with any area of life such as education, health, marriage, etc. and ties in with many job areas such as science, engineering, sports, etc. There are twenty-five areas of psychology: behavioral psychology, biological psychology, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, engineering psychology, health psychology, marriage and family psychology, school psychology, forensic psychology, and many other areas (Fescoe). Forensic psychology is one of the most popular areas in psychology.