THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF
PSYCHOLOGY
Hypothetical representation of the debate
among the psychologists
C. McMurray
AP Pscyhology
Adapted from:
http://www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/Just4Fun/Jokes/#History
1
Psychology should be an
independent discipline
rather than a stepchild
of philosophy and
physiology.
Wilhelm Wundt 1832-1920
2
This new psychology
should be a science
modeled after fields
such as physics and
chemistry .
Wilhelm Wundt 1832-1920
3
PSYCHOLOGY IS BORN
• In 1879, Wundt opened the first Psychology
research lab in Germany
• Psychology became The Scientific Study of
Conscious Experience
• Wundt had participants listen to a metronome
and report the sensations they had
4
What type of sensations
do you get from listening
to the metronome:
pleasant, unpleasant,
exciting relaxing?
Wilhelm Wundt 1832-1920
5
Yup…I’m the
“Father of
Psychology!”
Wilhelm Wundt 1832-1920
6
WUNDT IS THE FOUNDER
(AND THUS FATHER) OF PSYCHOLOGY!
• Wundt is the founder because he wedded
physiology and philosophy and made the
resulting offspring independent…
PSYCHOLOGY
7
I will take Wundt’s
ideas to the United
States and open a
lab there to conduct
psychological
research.
Stanley Hall 1844-1924
8
PSYCHOLOGY MAKES IT DEBUT IN
AMERICA
• In 1883, the first American (Psychology)
research lab was opened at Johns
Hopskins University
• In 1883, Hall launched the first American
research journal in Psychology
9
THE BATTLE BEGINS....
10
Similar to Wundt, (I am a
student of his you know) I
believe in order to
understand consciousness
we need to examine the key
elements such as
sensations, feelings and
images.
Edward Titchener 1867 - 1927
11
To explore these elements,
we will use
INTROSPECTION as a
method of study.
Once we identify the basic
elements, we can then
examine how they are
related
Edward Titchener 1867 - 1927
12
STRUCTURALISM
• Edward Titchener admired Wundt's work, but
brought forth his own version of psychology, an
approach called structuralism
• This approached focused on the structural
elements of the mind. It focused on the
importance of sensations in vision, hearing, and
touch
• To examine the elements of consciousness,
structuralists relied heavily on introspection (this
required that participants be trained to become
more aware of their perceptions)
13
Your understanding of
the conscious is
WRONG. First, mental
activities are not
composed of basic
elements, but are
developed through ages
of evolution.
William James 1842-1910
14
Second, consciousness
consists of a flow of
thoughts. Hence, your
methods are not only
too subjective, but by
examining merely the
elements, you only see
static points in the flow
of consciousness.
William James 1842-1910
15
Therefore, for
psychologists to
understand the flow
itself (i.e., the “stream
of consciousness”), we
need to investigate the
FUNCTION or purpose
of the conscious. I will
call this method
FUNCTIONALISM.
William James 1842-1910
16
FUNCTIONALISM
• William James' ideas gave rise to the approach
called functionalism
• This approach emphasized the function and
purpose of behavior and consciousness rather
than its analysis and description
• His approach was shortly lived, but many of his
ideas are prevalent in current areas of study,
such as emotions, attention, and memory
17
I can’t believe you guys call
what you do psychology!
Psychology should be
considered an objective,
experimental science.
John B. Watson 1878-1958
18
You’re methods are completely
unscientific! Speculation and
personal opinion cannot be
considered a psychological
technique because the results of
such methods cannot be verified
by other psychologists!
John B. Watson 1878-1958
19
I believe, the only verifiable
method of study is the
examination of what can be
OBSERVED directly! We can’t
see or touch people’s thoughts.
Consciousness is a private event
that cannot be observed or
measured.
John B. Watson 1878-1958
20
Psychology should be known as
the SCIENCE of BEHAVIOR,
with the goal to observe overt
behaviors and to predict and
control such behaviors.
John B. Watson 1878-1958
21
THE BEHAVIORAL APPROACH
• John B. Watson's views drastically changed the
course of Psychology and gave rise to the
behavioral approach
• This approach viewed psychology as an
objective science by studying behavior and not
mental processes. (Observation)
• John B. Watson is known as the Father of
Behaviorism
22
Famous Quote…
“Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed,
and my own special world to bring them up in
and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random
and train him to be any type of specialist I
might select- a doctor, lawyer, artist….”
Who said this?
I did!
23
THE BEHAVIORAL APPROACH
(CONT)
• The behavioral approach dominated the
field of psychology from the 1920’s to the
1960’s
However, the behavioral view did not go
unchallenged ...
24
As psychologists, I
believe we should not
forego the study of
the consciousness.
However, I disagree
with the views of the
structuralists and
functionalists.
Max Wertheimer 1880 - 1943
25
In order to explain
perceptual
experiences, we need
to look at more than
just the parts,
including both the
basic elements and the
“flow”.
Max Wertheimer 1880 - 1943
26
You see, perceptual
experiences are more
than merely the sum
of its parts.
Therefore, in order to
obtain an
understanding of such
experiences, one must
analyze the whole
pattern…GESTALT.
Max Wertheimer 1880 - 1943
27
THE GESTALT APPROACH
• Max Wertheimer's ideas gave rise to the gestalt
approach
• This approach is based on the idea that our
perceptions of objects are more than the sums
of their parts. Rather, they are wholes that give
shape or meaning to the parts
• However, Sigmund Freud brought forth yet
another view…
28
In my work with my
patients, I have
realized that some
behavors cannot be
explained through
direct observation nor
by asking my patients
to analyze these
behaviors.
Sigmund Freud 1856 - 1939
29
I believe many
behaviors are a result
of thoughts and
desires that manifest
at a level below one’s
conscious awareness
(the unconsciousness)
Sigmund Freud 1856 - 1939
30
I have had much
success in my reaching
the unconscious by
having my clients tell
me about their dreams
and life during
childhood. I call this
technique
PSYCHOANALYSIS.
Sigmund Freud 1856 - 1939
31
With psychoanalysis, I
have been able to
bring to the surface
many hidden motives
and unconscious
desires that seem to
explain much of the
behaviors human’s
exhibit.
Sigmund Freud 1856 - 1939
32
Therefore, people are
not masters of their own
mind. In fact, there is
ample evidence to assert
that human behavior is
largely governed by how
the individual copes with
his/her unconscious
sexual urges.
Sigmund Freud 1856 - 1939
33
But Freud
buddy…
“sometimes a
cigar is just a
cigar!”
THE PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH
• Despite the controversies surrounding Freud’s ideas and
the initial slow growth, his theory soon gained much
recognition
• This approach emphasized how behaviour is influenced
from unconscious drives and conflicts (also known as
Psychodynamic approach)
• By the 1940’s…
“psychoanalysis was becoming so popular that it
threatened to eclipse psychology entirely” (Hornstein,
1992; p. 258)
35
THE PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH
Continued
• With the widespread acceptance of
Freud’s theory, psychologists were forced
to apply their methods to the topics Freud
studied (i.e, personality, motivation and
abnormal psychology)
• However, B.F. Skinner re-visited Watson’s
ideas of behaviorism, continuing the
heated debate among the psychologists
36
I do not deny the
existence of internal
mental events, however.
I don’t feel these can be
studied scientifically.
Moreover, there really
is no need to study
them.
B.F. Skinner 1904 - 1990
37
In my studies with rats
and pigeons I have
found the stimulus of
food is followed by the
response of eating.
B.F. Skinner 1904 - 1990
38
It is entirely possible to
explain what is
happening without
speculating (or even
trying to examine)
whether the animal is
experiencing hunger.
B.F. Skinner 1904 - 1990
39
Hence, the principle of
behavior is rather
simple. Organisms tend
to repeat responses
that lead to positive
outcomes and they tend
not to repeat responses
that lead to neutral or
negative outcomes.
B.F. Skinner 1904 - 1990
40
SKINNER'S CONTRIBUTIONS
• Skinner showed that he could exert remarkable
control over an organisms behaviors through
use of positive and negative contingencies
• However, his work was done primarily with
animals
• Followers soon found that Skinner’s techniques
could also be applied to human behaviors
41
THE BEHAVIORAL APPROACH REVISITED
• In the 1950’s and 60’s behaviorism became the
dominate approach in psychology, with
psychoanalytic theory following closely behind
• Nevertheless, both approaches were soon
attacked by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
42
Hey wait a
minute…haven’t all of
you forgotten one
important element in
your studies, namely the
unique characteristics
of the person himself or
herself?
Carl Rogers 1902 - 1987
43
Your approaches are too
dehumanizing…
Psychoanalytic theory
rests too much on its
belief that behavior is
dominated by primitive
sexual urges.
Carl Rogers 1902 - 1987
44
Behavioral theorists, on
the other hand, are too
preoccupied with the
study of simple animal
behavior.
Carl Rogers 1902 - 1987
45
In fact, people are so
different from animals
that research on animals
have little relevance to
our understanding of
human behavior. As I
view it, human behavior is
governed primarily by
one’s sense of self (selfconcept) which animal
lack.
Carl Rogers 1902 - 1987
46
Furthermore, my
colleague, Abraham
Maslow and I believe that
psychologists need to take
into account individual’s
fundamental drive toward
personal growth. Hence, a
more optimistic or
HUMANISTIC approach
to the study of behavior is
needed that acknowledges
that people are masters
of their own destinies.
Carl Rogers 1902 - 1987
47
THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH
The humanistic approach emphasized
personal growth and achievement of
human potential.
48
THE BATTLE SUBSIDES
WHO WON?
49
Structuralism and Functionalism
Although Structuralism and Functionalism did
not continue as schools of thought, the interest
in mental processes returned with the
cognitive approach in the 1960’s
50
The Behavioral Approach
Behavioral principles are still used today. In fact,
Skinner’s technique (called Operant Conditioning)
is largely used today in various organizational and
educational settings
51
The Gestalt Approach
Many principles of the gestalt approach are still
used today in our explanations of how humans
perceive objects.
52
The Psychoanalytic Approach
Freud’s original theory eventually became nonapplicable to many current issues in psychology,
yet adaptations of his techniques are still used
today by some clinical psychologists
53
The Humanistic Approach
Today the variations of the Humanistic Approach
are used in treating psychological problems and
disorders
54
CURRENT PERSPECTIVES IN
PSYCHOLOGY
• Today, psychology has both a research and
applied focus. Often, psychologists devote their
time to both
• Many psychologists are also beginning to target
culture as a determinant of behavior (SocialCultural Approach)
55
Psychologists
• Wilhelm Wundt
• Stanley Hall
• Edward
Titchener
• William James
• John B. Watson
•
•
•
•
Max Wertheimer
Sigmund Freud
B. F. Skinner
Carl Rogers
56
Approaches to Psychology
•
•
•
•
•
•
STRUCTURALISM
FUNCTIONALISM
THE BEHAVIORAL APPROACH
THE GESTALT APPROACH
THE PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH
THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH
57