Psych 1001 Ch.1 Textbook Notes
The Evolution of Psychology
Brief history of psychology
● The term psychology comes from the Greek words “psyche” which means the soul, and
“logos” which is the study of a subject. Psychology's literal meaning is “the study of the
mind”
● Rationalism VS. Empiricism: Ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates (469-399
BCE), Plato (427-347 BCE), and Aristotle (385-322 BCE) considered and debated
issues of relevance to psychology. Including such subjects as the separation of the mind
and body and whether knowledge is born (nativism) or gained through experience
(empiricism).
● Rober Whyte (1714-1766), Franz Gall (1758-1826), Paul Brocha (1824-1880), and
Johannes Muller (1801-1858) showed that important insights could be gained into the
workings of the body and brain through application of systematic, empirical methods.
● One of Muller's students, Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1920) began one of the first
experimental examinations in psychology of human reaction time.However, many date
the emergence of psychology as a distinct discipline to the work Wilhelm Wundt
(1832-1920)
● Psychology’s intellectual parents were the disciplines of philosophy and physiology. By
the 1870s, a small number of scholars in both fields were actively exploring questions
about the mind.
● But, it was German professor, Wilhem Wundt, who changed this view. Wundt mounted
a campaign to make psychology an independent discipline rather than a stepchild of
philosophy or physiology. Wundt’s pioneering work had an enormous impact on the
development of psychology.
A New Science is Born
● In 1879, Wundt succeeded in establishing the first formal laboratory for research in
psychology at the University of Leipzig. In recognition of this landmark event, historians
have christened 1879 as psychology’s “date of birth”. Soon after, in 1881, Wundt
established the first journal devoted to publishing research on psychology.
The Evolution of Psychology
Brief history of psychology
● The term psychology comes from the Greek words “psyche” which means the soul, and
“logos” which is the study of a subject. Psychology's literal meaning is “the study of the
mind”
● Rationalism VS. Empiricism: Ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates (469-399
BCE), Plato (427-347 BCE), and Aristotle (385-322 BCE) considered and debated
issues of relevance to psychology. Including such subjects as the separation of the mind
and body and whether knowledge is born (nativism) or gained through experience
(empiricism).
● Rober Whyte (1714-1766), Franz Gall (1758-1826), Paul Brocha (1824-1880), and
Johannes Muller (1801-1858) showed that important insights could be gained into the
workings of the body and brain through application of systematic, empirical methods.
● One of Muller's students, Hermann von Helmholtz (1821-1920) began one of the first
experimental examinations in psychology of human reaction time.However, many date
the emergence of psychology as a distinct discipline to the work Wilhelm Wundt
(1832-1920)
● Psychology’s intellectual parents were the disciplines of philosophy and physiology. By
the 1870s, a small number of scholars in both fields were actively exploring questions
about the mind.
● But, it was German professor, Wilhem Wundt, who changed this view. Wundt mounted
a campaign to make psychology an independent discipline rather than a stepchild of
philosophy or physiology. Wundt’s pioneering work had an enormous impact on the
development of psychology.
A New Science is Born
● In 1879, Wundt succeeded in establishing the first formal laboratory for research in
psychology at the University of Leipzig. In recognition of this landmark event, historians
have christened 1879 as psychology’s “date of birth”. Soon after, in 1881, Wundt
established the first journal devoted to publishing research on psychology.
