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The Evolution of Psychology

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The Evolution of Psychology 01_ConceptCharts.qxd 1/25/12 3:00 PM Page 2 Chapter 1 How Psychology Developed Psychology’s intellectual parents: Philosophy and physiology I Classical Greek philosophers,such as Socrates and Aristotle,considered issues such as mind–body and the nature of memory. I Later philosophers,such as Descartes,Hume,and Mill,speculated on the mind and emotions. I Physiologists,such as Gall,Broca,and Müller,demonstrated the value of an empirical approach. A new science is born The battle of the “schools” begins Psychology’s founder was Wilhelm Wundt,who set up Advocates of structuralism argued that psychology the first research lab in 1879 (in Germany). should use introspection to analyze consciousness into Wundt argued that psychology should be the scientific its basic elements. study of consciousness. Advocates of functionalism argued that psychology G.Stanley Hall launched America's first psychology should investigate the purposes of consciousness. journal (in 1887) and helped establish the American Functionalism had a more lasting impact on psychology, Psychological Association (in 1892). as it fostered the emergence of behaviourism and applied psychology. Evolutionary psychology Psychology moves in a positive gains prominence direction The 1990s saw the emergence of a major,new theoretical Martin Seligman,former President of APA,argued that perspective called evolutionary psychology. psychology historically has focused too much on pathology Its crucial premise is that the patterns of behaviour and suffering.He launched the positive psychology seen in a species are the product of evolution,just like movement in the late 1990’s. anatomical characteristics. Positive psychology uses theory and research to better According to evolutionary psychologists,natural selection understand our adaptive,creative,and fulfilling experiences favours behaviours that enhance organisms’reproductive and processes.It emphasizes constructs such as positive success. emotions,personal strength,and happiness. The Evolution ofThe Evolution Psychology Interest in cultural factors grows In the 1980s,Western psychologists developed increased interest in how cultural variables influence behaviour. This trend was stimulated by the increased cultural diversity in Western societies and by growing global interdependence. Cognition and physiology Psychology becomes a profession resurface In the first half of the 20th century,only a handful of In its early days,psychology emphasized the study of psychologists were involved in the delivery of professional consciousness and physiology,but these topics languished services to the public. as behaviourism grew more dominant. However,stimulated by the demands of World War II, During the 1950s and 1960s advances in research on clinical psychology began rapid growth in the 1950s. mental and physiological processes led to renewed interest Today,the vast majority of psychologists are involved in in cognition and the biological bases of behaviour. professional services. 2 01_ConceptCharts.qxd 1/25/12 3:00 PM Page 3 Freud focuses on unconscious forces Although Sigmund Freud's views were controversial, they gradually became influential. Psychoanalytic theory emphasizes unconscious determinants Specialties in Contemporary Psychology of behaviour and the importance of sexuality. According to Freud,the unconscious consists of thoughts that one is not aware of but that still influence one's behaviour. Professional specialties Behaviourism debuts Clinical psychology Research areas Behaviourism,founded by John B.Watson,asserted that Counselling psychology Developmental psychology psychology should study only observable behaviour. Educational and school Social psychology This view gradually took hold and psychology became the psychology scientific study of behaviour (instead of consciousness). Experimental psychology Industrial and organizational Physiological psychology The behaviourists stressed the importance of environment psychology over heredity and pioneered animal research. Cognitive psychology Clinical neuropsychology Personality Forensic psychology Psychometrics Educational psychology Behaviourism flourishes with the Health psychology work of Skinner Boosted by B.F.Skinner’s research,behaviourism reached its zenith of influence in the 1950s. Key Themes Like Watson,he emphasized animal research,a strict focus on observable behaviour,and the importance of environment. Themes related to psychology as He generated controversy by arguing that free will is a field of study an illusion. I Psychology is empirical—it is based on objective observations made through research. I Psychology is theoretically diverse— The humanists revolt a variety of perspectives are needed to enhance our understanding of behaviour. Finding both behaviourism and psychoanalysis unappealing, I Psychology evolves in a sociohistorical context— advocates of humanism,such as Carl Rogers and Abraham dense connections exist between what happens in Maslow, began to gain some influence in the 1950s. psychology and what happens in society at large. Humanism emphasizes the unique qualities of human behaviour and the irrelevance of animal research. Themes related to psychology’s subject matter The humanists also took an optimistic view of human nature, I Behaviour is determined by multiple causes— stressing humans’freedom and potential for growth. complex causation is the rule and single-cause explanations are usually incomplete. I Behaviour is shaped by cultural heritage— Psychology in Canada cultural factors exert considerable influence over some aspects of behaviour. I The first experimental laboratory in Canada was established in 1891 at the University of Toronto by James Mark Baldwin. I Heredity and environment jointly influence behaviour—nature and nurture interactively shape I John Wallace Baird was the first Canadian President of APA (in 1918). most behavioural traits. The Canadian Psychological Association was formed in 1939. I People’s experience of the world is highly Rapid growth in Canadian psychology has been evident over the last century. subjective—people tend to see what they expect to see and what they want to see. 3.
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