PSY 310: History Of Psychology

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History of Psychology Derya Salazar- Bisswurm PSY/310 November 4th, 2013 Ann Bechler- Ingwalson History of Psychology The history of modern psychology is going back to early influential philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, Hume, and Mill, whose main focus was on British Empiricism and Associationism. Each of these philosophers contributed significant theories and ideas that had a considerable impact on the development of modern psychology. Leibniz and Kant were two German philosophers who also had a noteworthy influence on modern psychology although their ideas contrasted those of the Empiricists and Associationists. Throughout the 19th century there were many scientific innovations that led to the development of the science…show more content…
Descartes introduced the theory of dualism (the mind-body problem). According to this theory the mind and the body are two completely separate entities that work together to make up human experiences (Goodwin, 2008). Descartes played an important role in the mind-body problem, which has been a persistent issue in the history of psychology. Locke Locke was the referred to as the founder of British Empiricism. He believed that personal experiences have a large impact on the inner workings of the mind and the development of personality and behaviors. Locke stated that, “the mind at birth, then, is an empty sheet of white paper, ready to be written upon by the experiences of one’s lifetime” (Goodwin, 2008). Hume Hume had the idea that impressions are derived from happenings and ideas that are encountered in every day life. Hume as well developed the three laws of association, which included: resemblance, contiguity, and cause/effect (Goodwin, 2008). Resemblance was centering the idea that objects that may be familiar to someone can spark certain memories. The law of contiguity is concerned with experiencing things at the same time, which creates an association between these two things. Cause and effect was based upon the idea that if two things are regularly associated with one another an individual might come to associate these two events. These laws of association…show more content…
It was referred to as phrenology, and is primarily concerned with the localization of brain function. Franz Josef Gall was a phrenologist who could prove his theory of contra lateral function which believed that the right side of the brain controlled the left side of the body and vice versa. New innovative advancements during the 19th century allowed for new clinical studies to be performed that allowed scientists and psychologists to study individuals with mental illnesses and brain damage. If we wouldn’t had the advancements in the 19th century scientists and psychologists would have continued to struggle to prove theories on the basis of ideas rather than scientific evidence. Conclusion The history of todays psychology has been influenced by many important people throughout time. Philosophers been the door opener to psychological theories by proposing questions regarding the mind and the body and how the two been connected and related to each other. If these men and women had not made such progress, psychology may never have been considered an actual. And since the world advances, it will be interesting where new ideas and theories will take
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