A Little History From Past to Present Day Psychology
Posted: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
by David Tanguay
The history of psychology as a scholarly study of the mind and behavior dates back to the Middle ages. It was widely regarded to a branch of philosophy until the middle of the 19th-century when psychology developed as an independent scientific discipline in Germany. Psychology borders on various other fields including physiology, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, sociology and anthropology
Around 1875, the Harvard physiology instructor (as he then was), William James, opened a small experimental psychology demonstration laboratory for use with his courses. The laboratory was never used, in those days, for original research, and so controversy remains as to whether it is to be regarded as the "first" experimental psychology laboratory or not. In 1878, James gave a series of lectures at Johns Hopkins University entitled "The Senses and the Brain and their Relation to Thought" in which he argued, ''contra'' Thomas Henry Huxley, that consciousness is not epiphenomenal, but must have an evolutionary function, or it would not have been naturally selected in humans. The same year James was contracted by Henry Holt to write a textbook on the "new" experimental psychology. If he had written it quickly, it would have been the first English-language textbook on the topic. It was twelve years, however, before his two-volume ''Principles of Psychology'' would be published. In the meantime, textbooks were published by George Trumbull Ladd of Yale (1887) and James Mark Baldwin then of Lake Forest College (1889).
Sigmund Freud is the father of Psychoanalysis. He continued to modify his theory over a period of nearly half a century. Psychoanalysis focuses on the unconscious aspects of personality. According to Freud, the human mind is like an iceberg. It is mostly hidden in the unconscious. He believed that the conscious level of the mind was similar to the tip of the iceberg, which could be seen, but the unconscious was mysterious and was hidden. The unconscious also consists of aspects of personality of which a person is unaware. The conscious on the other hand is that which is within our awareness. The preconscious consists of that which is not in immediate awareness but is easily accessible.In 1923, Freud described his constructs of the id, ego and the superego.
For a more detailed account of the history of psychology, click here (wikipedia encyclopedia)
Today's world
(Apersonal note from the author)
In today's world as an individual inhabiting the world with all its problems we do face many challenges in all fields of just plain living. This is where many mental problems arise. There are so many diverse drugs to deal with depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, only to mention a few of the many diagnosed mental conditions developing in people in all walks of life.
From the early pioneers who took heed in the field of psychology to our modern day psychiatrist they all mean well however most of them cannot see what is right before their very eyes. The way we all live in society is where most all of the various forms of psychosis is derived.
Mental patients in group therapy
I have lived with the mentally ill I have seen how they choose those they want to associate with. They find their own identity that is what is important to them. Most of them shun away from the real world they believe the well adjusted in society are the truly disturbed.
However, I believe we have made a great deal of progress in the past two or three decades in dealing with mental illness.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)hi david, excellent article. well written, interesting, and factual. i have always been interested in psychology and just what makes us tick! haven't quite found it yet, but i'm not done searching:) best regards, suePlease log in to respond to this comment.Well Susan psychology deals with the mind. However most mental problems relate to the heart. As I say in my article I have lived with the mentally ill. Only they didn't believe they were mentally ill.Please log in to respond to this comment.
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