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Origin if modern psychology
History and nature of psychology
History and nature of psychology
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The central purpose of this essay is to critically discuss the importance of understanding human evolution and the history of psychology for the modern psychologist. For the human evolution, the essay will be addressing on how we and other species descended from our ancestors and how the different environment has helped to us to become more adaptable. Regarding the history of psychology, the essay will be discussing on how psychology branched off from the philosophy approach to become its own science. The essay will then go on discussing how the understanding of both human evolution and history of psychology would be used by modern psychologist.
Every story has a beginning and an end. To be able to understand the importance of modern psychology, it is vital to take a few steps back and look at where it all started. Having a brief understanding of the human evolution firstly will provide a basic background on where the idea of psychology first emerged. This will also enable us to have to have an understanding of the origins of the modern mind and how modern psychologist uses psychology as science to help explain reasons behind how the mind processes and our behaviours.
Main body
Human evolution is a process that suggests that people originated from apelike ancestors which happened about 6-4.5 million years ago. Charles Darwin’s theory of human evolution proposes that humans descended from African apes. The first species to appear around 4.5 million years ago were the Australopithecus, these were vegetarians. These were not strictly humans but were able to walk upright. They had a small brain of about 400cc and did not use tools. Around 2 million years ago, Homo habilis also emerged from Africa, they were the first species to ut...
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...y’s society.
Works Cited
Benjamin, L.T. (2007). A Brief History of Modern Psychology. Blackwell: Oxford
Mithen, S. J. (1996) The prehistory of the mind: a search for the origins of art, religion, and science. London: Thames and Hudson.
Tobias P. V., (1987) ‘The brain of Homo habilis: A new level of organization in cerebral evolution.’ Journal of Human Evolution. Vol. 16, Issues 7–8, Pg. 741–761.
Leahey T. H., (1994) A history of modern psychology. Prentice Hall International Edition: New Jersey. 2nd edn.
Martin, N.G. (2013). Psychology. Pearson education limited: Coventry . 5th edn. Pg21-36
http://voices.yahoo.com/history-modern-psychology-10161919.html http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~rakison/plotkinreview.pdf http://www.epjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/EP05232256.pdf
Wynn, T.(2002) ‘Archaeology and Cognitive evolution’. behavioral and brain science 25, 389-438
Thorndike, E. L. The elements of psychology. New York: A. G. Seiler , 1905. Print
Human characteristics have evolved all throughout history and have been manipulated on a global scale through the use of science and technology. Genetic modification is one such process in which contemporary biotechnology techniques are employed to develop specific human characteristics. Despite this, there are a countless number of negative issues related with genetic modification including discrimination, ethical issues and corruption. Hence, genetic modification should not be used to enhance human characteristics.
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...
Rank, Otto. Beyond Psychology. Dover Publications. New York. Copyright (c) 1941 by Estelle B. Rank. 1958.
...en out of favor with many modern psychologist maybe because of the way people’s mentality change over the course of the years. I also believe that the unfortunate truth is that old philosophies are meant to be substituted by new and better ideas. Last but not least that what makes this subject of psychology so intriguing for me; the fact that there so many theories conflicting with each other yet, some way and some how, no idea is ether wrong nor incorrect; each idea has a compelling argument witch makes it unique.
The study of psychology began as a theoretical subject a branch of ancient philosophy, and later as a part of biological sciences and physiology. However, over the years, it has grown into a rigorous science and a separate discipline, with its own sets of guidance and experimental techniques. This paper aims to study the various stages that the science of psychology passed through to reach its contemporary status, and their effects on its development. It begins with an overview of the historical and philosophical basis of psychology, discusses the development of the various schools of thought, and highlights their effects on contemporary personal and professional decision-making.
Hergenhahn, B. R. (2009). An introduction to the history of psychology (6th ed., p. 224,
Webb, Wilse. History Of Psychology. Theoretical & Philosophical Psychology 9.1 (1989): 44-45. PsycARTICLES. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
century. In G. A. Kimble & K. Schlesinger (Eds.), Topics in the history of psychology (Vol. 2,
“The scientific study of how humans developed did not begin until the 1800s in Europe. Until that time, people relied on religious explanations of how humans came into existence. Starting in the 1500s a scientific revolution began to sweep Europe. Thinkers started using scientific methods and experiments to try to better understand the world and the creatures living in it. Eventually these methods were turned to the question of human origins” (The Nature Of Human Origins, 1). Earth made it possible for species to change over time because Ancient Earth provides ability to plenty of time.The Homo Sapien a is very complex creature. The species started off very simple by living in caves and surviving with little food and then later evolved into a species that were able to do many more complex things. The first species was Sahelanthropus tchadensis They were one of the most simple humans in that time period and on. They had very small skulls compared to Homo Sapiens today and their motor skills were just the same. We have evolved and changed for the better both mentally and physically. The Evolution of Homo Sapiens started off simple, such as the Neanderthals, and now we are the most advanced species to ever walk the planet so far.
Kimble, G. A., Wertheimer, M., and White, C. L. (1991) Portraits of Pioneers in Psychology, Volume I. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Hergenhahn, B.R. (2009). Social and Theoretical Psychology: Conceptual and Historical Issues 1. An introduction to the History of Psychology. 1 (1), p1-28.
The evidence for human evolution begins with the australopithecines. All the australopithecines were bipedal and therefore possible hominines. In details of their teeth, jaws, and brain size, however, they modify enough among themselves to be divided into five species: Australopithecus anamensis, A. afarensis, A. africanus, A. robustus, and A. boisei. Genus Homo are also divided in five different spices: Homo erectus, H. habilis, H. sapiens, and H. sapiens sapiens.
While the great philosophical distinction between mind and body in western thought can be traced to the Greeks, it is to the influential work of René Descartes, French mathematician, philosopher, and physiologist, that we owe the first systematic account of the mind/body relationship. As the 19th century progressed, the problem of the relationship of mind to brain became ever more pressing.
The origin of human beings has to trace back to the chimps which lived in millions of years ago. About six to eight million years ago, people’s ancestor split from chimp (Pickrell, 2006). In The Origin of Species, which is published by Darwin in 1859, African apes were thought as the ancestor of human beings. And in the next