| Early development | | | | desires, or goals could be studied |
| The first use of the term "psychology" | | | | scientifically. In his paper "Psychology |
| is often attributed to the German | | | | as the Behaviorist Views It" (1913), |
| scholastic philosopher Rudolf Goeckel | | | | Watson argued that psychology "is a |
| (Latinized Rudolph Goclenius), published | | | | purely objective [emphasis added] |
| in 1590.[1] More than six decades | | | | experimental branch of natural science," |
| earlier, however, the Croatian humanist | | | | that "introspection forms no essential |
| Marko Marulić used the term in the | | | | part of its methods", and that "the |
| title of a work which was subsequently | | | | behaviorist recognizes no dividing line |
| lost.[2] This, of course, may not have | | | | between man and brute." |
| been the very first usage, but it is the | | | | Behaviorism reigned as the dominant |
| earliest documented use at present. | | | | model in psychology through the first |
| The term did not fall into popular usage | | | | half of the 20th century, largely due to |
| until the German idealist philosopher, | | | | the creation of conditioning theories as |
| Christian Wolff (1679-1754) used it in | | | | scientific models of human behavior, and |
| his Psychologia empirica and Psychologia | | | | their successful application in the |
| rationalis (1732-1734). This distinction | | | | workplace and in fields such as |
| between empirical and rational | | | | advertising. |
| psychology was picked up in Diderot's | | | | Modern era |
| Encyclodedie and was popularized in | | | | However, it became increasingly clear |
| France by Maine de Biran. | | | | that although behaviorism had made some |
| The root of the word psychology (psyche) | | | | important discoveries, it was deficient |
| is very roughly equivalent to "soul" in | | | | as a guiding theory of human behavior. |
| Greek, and psychology came to be | | | | Noam Chomsky's review of Skinner's book |
| considered a study of the soul (in a | | | | Verbal Behavior (that aimed to explain |
| religious sense of this term) much | | | | language acquisition in a behaviorist |
| later, in Christian times. Psychology as | | | | framework) is considered one of the |
| a medical discipline can be seen in | | | | major factors in the ending of |
| Thomas Willis' reference to psychology | | | | behaviorism's reign. Chomsky |
| (the "Doctrine of the Soul") in terms of | | | | demonstrated that language could not |
| brain function, as part of his 1672 | | | | purely be learned from conditioning, as |
| anatomical treatise "De Anima Brutorum" | | | | people could produce sentences unique in |
| ("Two Discourses on the Souls of | | | | structure and meaning that couldn't |
| Brutes"). Until about the end of the | | | | possibly be generated solely through |
| 19th century, psychology was regarded as | | | | experience of natural language, implying |
| a branch of philosophy. | | | | that there must be internal states of |
| Early modern era | | | | mind that behaviorism rejected as |
| In 1879, Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920), | | | | illusory. Similarly, work by Albert |
| known as "the father of psychology", | | | | Bandura showed that children could learn |
| founded a laboratory for the study of | | | | by social observation, without any |
| psychology at Leipzig University in | | | | change in overt behavior, and so must be |
| Germany. The American philosopher | | | | accounted for by internal |
| William James published his seminal | | | | representations. |
| book, Principles of Psychology, in 1890, | | | | Humanistic psychology emerged in the |
| laying the foundations for many of the | | | | 1950s and has continued as a reaction to |
| questions that psychologists would focus | | | | positivist and scientific approaches to |
| on for years to come. Other important | | | | the mind. It stresses a phenomenological |
| early contributors to the field include | | | | view of human experience and seeks to |
| Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909), a | | | | understand human beings and their |
| pioneer in the experimental study of | | | | behavior by conducting qualitative |
| memory at the University of Berlin; and | | | | research. The humanistic approach has |
| the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov | | | | its roots in existentialist and |
| (1849-1936), who investigated the | | | | phenomenological philosophy and many |
| learning process now referred to as | | | | humanist psychologists completely reject |
| classical conditioning. | | | | a scientific approach, arguing that |
| Meanwhile, during the 1890s, the | | | | trying to turn human experience into |
| Austrian physician Sigmund Freud, who | | | | measurements strips it of all meaning |
| was trained as a neurologist and had no | | | | and relevance to lived existence. |
| formal training in experimental | | | | Some of the founding theorists behind |
| psychology, had developed a method of | | | | this school of thought were Abraham |
| psychotherapy known as psychoanalysis. | | | | Maslow who formulated a hierarchy of |
| Freud's understanding of the mind was | | | | human needs, Carl Rogers who created and |
| largely based on interpretive methods | | | | developed Client-centred therapy, and |
| and introspection, and was focused in | | | | Fritz Perls who helped create and |
| particular on resolving mental distress | | | | develop Gestalt therapy. |
| and psychopathology. Freud's theories | | | | The rise of computer technology also |
| became very well-known, largely because | | | | promoted the metaphor of mental function |
| they tackled subjects such as sexuality | | | | as information processing. This, |
| and repression as general aspects of | | | | combined with a scientific approach to |
| psychological development. These were | | | | studying the mind, as well as a belief |
| largely considered taboo subjects at the | | | | in internal mental states, led to the |
| time, and Freud provided a catalyst for | | | | rise of cognitivism as the dominant |
| them to be openly discussed in polite | | | | model of the mind. |
| society. Although Freud's theories are | | | | Links between brain and nervous system |
| only of limited interest in modern | | | | function were also becoming common, |
| academic psychology departments, his | | | | partly due to the experimental work of |
| application of psychology to clinical | | | | people such as Charles Sherrington and |
| work has been very influential. | | | | Donald Hebb, and partly due to studies |
| Partly in reaction to the subjective and | | | | of people with brain injury (see |
| introspective nature of Freudian | | | | cognitive neuropsychology). With the |
| psychology, and its focus on the | | | | development of technologies for |
| recollection of childhood experiences, | | | | accurately measuring brain function, |
| during the early decades of the 20th | | | | neuropsychology and cognitive |
| century behaviorism gained popularity as | | | | neuroscience have become some of the |
| a guiding psychological theory. | | | | most active areas in contemporary |
| Championed by psychologists such as John | | | | psychology. With the increasing |
| B. Watson and Edward Thorndike (and | | | | involvement of other disciplines (such |
| later, B.F. Skinner), behaviorism was | | | | as philosophy, computer science and |
| grounded in studies of animal behavior. | | | | neuroscience) in the quest to understand |
| Behaviorists argued that psychology | | | | the mind, the umbrella discipline of |
| should be a science of behavior, not the | | | | cognitive science has been created as a |
| mind, and rejected the idea that | | | | means of focusing such efforts in a |
| internal mental states such as beliefs, | | | | constructive way. |