The Evolution of Psychology
1. What IS Psychology?
2. How did it evolve?
3. What are the historical roots of
psychology?
4. How do psychologists approach
human behavior and mental
processes?
5. What makes psychology a science?
What IS psychology?
 The scientific study of mental processes and behavior
 What are mental processes?
 What are behaviors?
 Goals:
 Describe
 Explain/Predict
 Influence
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Where Psychologists work
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Frame of mind…
Curious
Skeptical
Objective
Critical thinker
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Key Questions for Critical Thinking
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What am I being asked to believe or accept?
What evidence is available to support the assertion?
Are there alternative ways of interpreting the
evidence?
What additional evidence would help to evaluate the
alternatives?
What conclusions are most reasonable?
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The Development of Psychology: From
Speculation to Science
 Prior to 1879
 Physiology and
philosophy scholars
studying questions
about the mind
 Wilhelm Wundt
(1832-1920)
University of
Leipzig, Germany
 Established the first
laboratory for the
study of
psychology in 1879
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Research Laboratory
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Wilhelm Wundt’s International Influence
 G.Stanley Hall (1846-1924),
Johns Hopkins University
 Established the first psychology
laboratory in the U.S. in 1883
 Between 1883 and 1893, 24 new
laboratories in North America
 Contributed to the establishment of
the APA
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The Battle of the “Schools” in the U.S.:
Structuralism vs. Functionalism
 Two intellectual schools of thought regarding the
science of psychology
Structuralism
Edward Titchener
Functionalism
William James
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Gestalt Psychology
 Gestalt Psychology,
 A rebellion against Wundt’s structuralism
 Gestalt means a unified or meaningful whole
 “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
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Contemporary Perspectives
20th Century Psychology through Present Day
Applying Perspectives
Mrs. Jenks, a 4th grade classroom teacher, has
asked for an evaluation of Jonathon, a student
who acts out in class by hitting other children. As
the psychologist in charge of this evaluation,
explain the possible causes of Jonathon’s
aggression and how you would help Jonathon
become less aggressive. Take either a biological,
psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, or
humanistic approach.
Perspective Discussion
• Form a group of 3 – 4 students
• Each student should share his/her paragraph
response to the “Mrs. Jenks…” prompt
• Once each person has shared, discuss the
following…
• Were there common responses within the group?
• Was there disagreement within the group?
• What questions surfaced as a result of completing
this assignment?