History of Psychology• Although the science of psychology is

very young (late 1800’s), the concept has been around a lot longer.

• There was evidence of trephining (cutting holes into a skull to let evil spirits out) back in the stone age.

It was like a bad SAW movie!!!!

Waves of Psychology

• The science of psychology has gone through about 5 different waves since it started.

• Waves are different ways of thinking and explain human behavior over time.

Wave One: Early SchoolsKickin’ it old school

•William Wundt’s (the Father of Psychology.

• 1st research lab in Leipzig, Germany

He created the FIRST psychological laboratory and used a technique of introspection .

•

Wave 1 – Introspection

• Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

– Studied reaction time to a audible stimulus

– Then participants had to write how each was affected:

• Feelings/Emotions• Images• Thoughts

– **This technique was called introspection

“Physiological psychology is, therefore, first of all psychology “ – Wundt

Wave 1 - Structuralism

• E.B. Titchener wanted to study the structural elements of the mind so his school was called structuralism …

like chemists study the structure of matter, why not the mind??????

Wave 1-Functionalism: William James

• William James was very influenced by the new theory of evolution.

• He felt behavior should be explained in view of its evolutionary function. For ex: Why do most of us fear heights???What features areattractive?

William James also…

• Was a Psychology professor at Harvard U. and wrote the first Psych textbook.

Thanks Will!!!

Wave Two: Gestalt Psychology• Led by Max Wertheimer, these guys focused not on

how we feel, but on how we experience the world.• The whole of an experience can be more than the

sum of its parts.

Think for a moment of all the reasons that you love your mom.If you add all those reasons up, do they equal your love for your

mom?Hopefully not!!!

This may seem like one picture, but it can be perceived as 2 different faces. Can you find them?

Wave Three: Psychoanalysis

• This wave of thinking started with Sigmund Freud (in the early 1900’s).

• A physician from Austria, he became convinced that we are unaware of WHY we act or behave as we do

• ff

“The Perve”

Freud: Psychoanalysis

• In a nutshell, during this time period people believed that most of your feelings come from a hidden place in your mind called the unconscious.

• He believed that our true motivations and urges are expressed in dreams, slips of the tongue and subliminal behavior.

• Ex: freudian slips

Wave Four: Behaviorism

• This approach was a reaction to the study of inner thoughts.

• “How scientific is that??”they asked. “How will we ever be taken seriously by the scientific community if we don’t make Psychology based on scientific study”.

• Therefore, they decided that ONLY observable behavior would and could be studied.

• Very popular during the conservative 1950’s when social appearance mattered more than self expression.

Behaviorism: Watson & Skinner• Two most famous behaviorists:

Watson

Skinner

So hot!

Wave 4 – Behaviorism • Organisms tend to repeat responses

that lead to positive outcomes• …not to repeat those that lead to

neutral or negative outcomes

• Free will is an illusion

Wave Five: Eclectic• We are now in wave five….which is about

variety.

• Psychologists pick and choose what theories to use depending on the situation and the client.