All sciences have their origin and history and it is important to know it to better understand the discipline. In the case of the birth of psychology, its first steps go back to classical times, where some philosophical currents already they spoke of the human being having a capacity to feel, express and communicate that he could differentiate himself from our functions physiological.
Today, psychology has undergone various changes and has been analyzed from a multitude of prisms. That is why, in Psychology-Online we have decided to talk about the origin of psychology: summary and authors. In this article you will not only find historical facts, we will also reveal to you who it was that is considered as the first psychologist in history.
Index
- When was psychology born?
- History of psychology: brief summary
- Wilhem Wundt and current psychology
- Psychology in the 20th century: most important authors
When was psychology born?
Before beginning to define the origin of psychology, its history and authors, it is important to comment that this article will focus on the discipline and Western history since other cultures such as those of Eastern countries have currents of thought different. We must not forget that the point of view defined below has coexisted with other ideas and other historical facts.
Like any field of knowledge, its origin is very diffuse and we cannot establish an exact origin of psychology in all parts of the world. There is some evidence that the word "psychology"appears for the first time in the eighteenth century introduced by the German philosopher Christian wolff.
This thinker defined psychology as "the science that studies the soul". It is not surprising that great minds were thus defined as Discards they separated the body from the thinking part of the human being, thus delimiting two interdependent spaces known as "the body" Y "the soul"
History of psychology: brief summary.
The human being has always wondered where his ideas and feelings come from. As we have commented at the beginning of the article, before the origin of psychology, different philosophical, medical and biological assumptions about the doubts that our minds raised.
Origin of psychology as a science
In the beginning, it was defined as a subjective study without scientific bases, characterized by analysis based on observation and projection. However, in the 19th century, Wilhem Wundt decided to found the first laboratory of experimental psychology in the world.
Experimental psychology put on the table a revolutionary statement: studying the human mind requires experiments and scientific bases. It is at that moment where we can observe two very contrary principles within the discipline of psychology:
- The human mind can only be studied through subjective analysis and the projection of thoughts.
- Psychology must be a purely science experimental and empirical.
From that moment on, psychological studies took very extreme but complementary paths; from Freud stating that there is a large submerged part of our mind where we repress memories, thoughts and feelings until the Skinner's behavioral theory where it is postulated that we can make a complete psychological analysis from the observation of behavior.
Nowadays, both assumptions have been diversifying and we find influence of these theories in all branches of psychology. We know that it is extremely important that psychology be established as a science, however, it is not an exact and perfectly predictable discipline.
Some of the branches of psychology that we can study today are:
- Clinical psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Cognitive psychology
- Psychoanalysis or dynamic psychology ...
Wilhem Wundt and current psychology.
As we have already been advancing throughout this article on the origin of psychology, Wilhem Wundt is regarded as the first psychologist experimental of all time.
Although it is true that, as we have been mentioning throughout this article, other disciplines had tried to study human behavior and emotions, it was not until 1879 that the first real bases were established to be able to study correctly the psychology that we can observe today.
Wilhem Wundt also tried to make a study of what is considered today "Social psychology"since he differentiated the attitudes of society from individual experimental behavior. It is important to note that some experts claim that Gustav Fechner paved the way for Wundt as he attempted an equation to quantify the relationship between a stimulus physical and sensation associated.
Psychology in the 20th century: most important authors.
Already established the foundations of modern psychology In the 18th and 19th centuries, in the last century a multitude of authors began to emerge who offered very important and interesting points of view. Some of the most important authors of the 20th century are the following:
- Sigmund Freud: father of psychoanalysis, he laid the foundations of current psychotherapy postulating the need to establish an intimate dialogue with the patient.
- B.F SkinnerExperimental behavioral psychologist, contributed to the theory of behaviorism the idea of operant conditioning.
- Carl rogers: one of the most important figures in humanistic psychology.
- Abraham Maslow: theorized about motivation and hierarchy of needs (creating the famous Maslow pyramid)
- Hans eyesenk: one of the most important psychologists in the second half of the 20th century, he dedicated a large part of his life to studying the different personality characteristics.
These are some of the psychologists who contributed the theories that we continue to use in psychology today. Fortunately, this discipline is constantly growing and today many people dedicate their knowledge and studies to contribute theories and therapeutic practices to psychology.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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