AED/310: A History Of Modern Psychology

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A History of Modern Psychology Tammy Dyke AED/310 September 30, 2013 Ann Becher-Ingwalson A History of Modern Psychology Today the topic of discussion is the history of modern psychology. The definition of psychology revealed. The discussion reveals several philosophers that relate to the beginning of psychology as a formal discipline. The discussion begins with the definition for psychology. Psychology is a science dealing with an individuals mental health and behavior. Philosophy is a branch of psychology that studies the functions of the human mind, body, and soul. A philosopher is an individual who studies philosophy. The discussion seeks to explain several philosophers’ of psychology. The first modern philosopher discussed is Rene…show more content…
One individual named Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) (Epstein, 1981). With the increase of research into the linkage behind the body, Wilhelm Wundt became the first to develop the study of psychology into a formal discipline. Wundt was using scientific research methods to explore reaction times. Wundt opened the first experimental laboratory in psychology at the University of Leipzig, Germany (Goodwin, 2008). Wundt was linked to the theatrical perception known as structuralism along with his student Edward Bradford Titchener (1867-1927), which consist of describing the structures that compose the human mind. Titchener made an influential memorial of Wundt’s main ideas. Both Wundt and Titchener believed that the process known as introspection was the science of the conscious experience and the spectators accurately could describe thoughts, feelings, and emotions. However, Wundt wanted to separate introspection and internal perception that Wundt believed was more accurate. Internal perception included a professional spectator who -was unaware when a stimulus of interest was introduced. Wundt believed changing the conditions of the experiment, the generality of the observation would…show more content…
Watson (1878-1958). Watson was responsible for developing the behaviorism school of thought. Behaviorism is a school of psychology that deals with observable behavior and ignores the subjective aspects of human activity involved. Watson was amazed with the work of Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936). Pavlov was a Russian physiologist, who studied conditioning. Next B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) evolved the behaviorist theory into its own psychological perspective. Skinner believed that punishment and reward are the result of behavior; this theory forms the principles of operant conditioning that he proposed. This is not say, however that Skinner ignored what occurs before the response, or the context in which it occurs (Kretchmar, 2008). Last the discussion turns to Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). At the turn of the 20th century psychoanalysis emerged from Sigmund Freud. Freud approach was based on an individuals unconscious, which is the thoughts, attitudes, impulses, wishes, motivations, and emotions, which individuals are unaware of. Freud believed the human mind has three elements, such as id, ego, and superego. Psychodynamic understanding meanings to indicate underlying wishes, fears, and patterns of thought from individuals conscious, verbalized thought, and behavior (Kowalski, & Westen,
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