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The History of Psychology

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For centuries it has been a common curiosity to fully understand the workings of the mind and many attempts at comprehension have been made by many great thinkers. But due to the many complex aspects of the brain, it has proven a difficult challenge to understand the mind as a whole and the interconnectedness of the myriad of components at play. The work of many notable psychologists, physiologists, and philosophers has helped us establish our modern-day definition of psychology through extensive research on subjects and multiple theories that some of which are employed in use today. But some of the methods used to acquire previous inquiries in psychology have not always been the most considerate means of collecting scientific data and have cast a shadow over part of the history of psychology. In contemporary times though the American Psychological Association has banned some of the preceding methods and has given psychology a more ethical reputation in the eyes of the public. None the less though, by analyzing the history of psychology we can appreciate the established knowledge we have today and the means by which we achieved progress.

Although the definition of psychology has changed throughout the many years of its evolution, our course formally defines psychology as the “scientific study of behavior and mental processes,” (Hockenbury & Hockenbury 3). Psychology’s beginnings can be traced back to a little more than over 2,000 years ago to the famous philosophers, one of such was the Greek, Aristotle. Whom wrote about “sleep, dreams, the senses, and memory,” (Hockenbury & Hockenbury 3) in his book De Anima and many of his formative notions established a foundation for other psychologists to build from. These ideas became cen...

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...we have come to our current perspective in the modern science of psychology and the how the schools of thought have influenced modern practices and psychotherapy today. Although we can never be sure that we will completely understand the workings of the mind, centuries of research have helped us gain a better understanding over the years, and with each piece of research we come closer to understanding the complex interconnectedness of the brain.

Works Cited / Resources

Hockenbury, Don H., and Sandra E. Hockenbury. "Chapter 1." Psychology. 6th ed. New York, NY: Worth, 2013.

"American Psychological Association (APA)." Http://www.apa.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.

Grezlik, Amy. "G. Stanley Hall." Psychology History. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.

"The History of Psychology." The History of Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.
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