A Brief History of Psychology

PSYC1001H
September 15, 2010

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Before we start
Note to self: Turn on recorder
Do not pay too much attention to dates
unless they are highlighted in lecture

Psychology: Birth of a Discipline

Psychology = Psyche (soul) + Logos
(study of subject)
Stemmed from merging of philosophy
and physiology: How do mind and body
interact?
In 1879 Wilhelm Wundt established the
first psychology research laboratory

Wilhelm Wundt
First laboratory for
psychology research
First journal devoted
to publishing
research in psych
Trained numerous
students who helped
develop new
discipline

Wilhelm Wundt
Declared psychology should be a
science, similar to physics or chemistry
Primary focus: Consciousness
Scientific study of the mind, mental
processes, immediate experience

G. Stanley Hall
First American
laboratory for
psychology research
First American journal
of psychology
(American Journal of
Psychology)
First president of
American Psychological
Association

 Psychology was initially defined by

schools of thought
Practitioners generally subscribed to one
school, to the exclusion of all others
Led to academic beef

Structuralism
Led by Edward Titchener (student of
Wundt)
Separate psychology into basic elements
(e.g. feelings, sensations) and
characterize their relationships
Most work concerned sensation and
perception via introspection

Structuralism: Introspection
Careful, systematic self-observation of
ones own conscious experience
Participants (usually lab students) were
trained extensively in methods and to
heighten awareness
Subjects exposed to various stimuli
under controlled conditions, reported
experiences

Functionalism
Led by William James
Investigate purpose of consciousness
Heavily influenced by Darwins theory of
Natural Selection:
Consciousness evolved, therefore it is
beneficial, but what does it do?

Functionalism
Stream of consciousness: a flow of thoughts
that constitutes the conscious experience (vs.
individual elements)
How is consciousness at play in real world (vs.
laboratory)
New ideas such as mental testing, childhood
development, behavioural differences between
sexes

Structuralism vs. Functionalism

Structure of consciousnes
vs.
Function of consciousness
But, who won?

Behaviourism
Led by John Watson
Pushed for psychology to be taken more
seriously
Scientific Psychology should only study
observable behaviour
Abandon consciousness because it
cannot be objectively observed

Behaviourism
Power of scientific method = verifiability
Behaviourism replaces vague
speculation and personal opinion with
reliable, replicable information

Behaviourism

(aka Stimulus-Response Psychology)

Strongly influenced by Pavlov
Relate overt behaviours (responses) to
observable events (stimuli)
Contributed to rise of animal research by
eliminating consciousness (and need to
report experiences)

Sigmund Freud
Austrian physician
Treated
psychological
problems with
innovative therapy
called
psychoanalysis
Unfairly written off
in recent times

Freud: The Unconscious

Thoughts, memories and desires that are
outside conscious awareness but that exert a
strong influence on behaviour
Freudian slips
Dreams
Repression of memories
Projection
People are not in control of their own minds

Freud: Psychoanalytic Theory

Mind is divided into three parts
Id: Completely unconscious, pleasure seeking,
strives to reduce tension by satisfying instinctual
desires
Ego: Both conscious and unconscious, governed by
reality, decision-making branch, must balance
demands of Id and Super ego with reality
Super ego: Unconscious, governed by
moralistic/idealistic principles, seeks perfection

Freud: The Scandals!

Oedipus Complex: VERY unpopular in
his day
Elektra Complex: Not Freud
Cocaine
Dwindling use of psychoanalysis
Undermines his impact on modern
psychology

B.F. Skinner
Influenced by
Watson and Pavlov
Developed
Radical
Behaviourism

Skinners Behaviourism
Organisms tend to repeat responses that
lead to positive outcomes and not repeat
responses that lead to neutral negative
outcomes
e.g. gambling, elevator button press

Can exert remarkable control on

behaviour by altering outcome

Skinners Behaviourism
All behaviour is governed by external
stimuli, not conscious decisions
Free will is an illusion
Similarity to Freud?

Cultural context: WWII

Skinner: The Scandal?

Skinner raised his daughter in a Skinner
Box for 2.5 years
Equipped with bells and food trays
Ran conditioning experiments involving
reward and punishment

Skinner: The Scandal?

False
Picture depicts baby tender, an athome incubator for baby to sleep in

Humanism
Believed psychoanalytic and behaviourist
views were dehumanizing
Emphasizes unique qualities of humans,
especially freedom and potential for personal
growth
Human behaviour is governed by sense of
self or self-concept
Psychological disturbances are due to
thwarting of need to evolve and grow

Humanism
Carl Rogers
Client-centered
therapy

Abraham Maslow
Hierarchy of Needs

Cognitive Psychology
Cognition: Mental processes involved in
human behaviour
Psychology must study internal mental
events to fully understand behaviour
Renewed interest due to work of Jean
Piaget (cognitive development in
children) and Noam Chomsky

Biological Psychology
Re-incorporated cogniton and physiology
Study of how neural processes affect
behaviour
Major early figure: Donald Hebb

Donald Hebb
As Jay Onrait would say: Canadian!
Argued the brain was the locus of behaviour
Cell assembly: repeated stimulation of brain
cells leads to the development of cell
assemblies
These cell assemblies act on their own or form
neural networks with other assemblies to
direct behaviour

Donald Hebb
Pioneer who suggested how neural
networks might work and be organized
(and he was right!)
Set stage for major developments in
cognition and neuroscience
Underscored importance of brain in
behaviour

Cross-Cultural Psychology
Psychology has been largely Western
dominated
Examines how Western theories apply to
non-Western cultures
Develops new culturally-specific theories
and interpretations of behaviour
e.g. papers looking at smoking cessation in
different cultures

Cross-Cultural Psychology
Impetus:
Socio-political upheavals of 60s and 70s
Advances in communication and travel
have made it more feasible
Increased multi-cultural diversity of Western
countries

Evolutionary Psychology
Behavioural processes are the result of
adaptation over the course of many
generations
Similar to anatomical adaptations
e.g. Male vs. Female differences in
visual-spatial ability

Applied Psychology
Branch of psychology concerned with
practical, real world problems
Developed slowly until WWII

Academic psychologists served as clinicians to

screen recruits and treat veterans

Led to boom in clinical psychology

Clinical Psychology vs Psychiatry

Clinical Psychology:

Dx and tx of psychological problems/disorders

Ph.D. with specialized training
Non-medical intervention (e.g. CBT)

Psychiatry:

Dx and tx of psychological problems/disorders

M.D. with specialized training
Medical intervention (e.g. drugs)

Psychology Today
Integrative
Cognitive perspective is dominant, but
boundaries with other perspectives are
blurred

Diverse
Many, many branches and specializations
No globally dominant figures

Small Group Activity

Based on lecture and/or text, come up
with one multiple choice question (plus
answer)
Identify the muddiest point(s)