People study their minds everyday. They try to see what other people think about the things around them. They question who they are and where they come from. Theses are the most common psychological, and at the same time, philosophical ideas that people face in their everyday lives. Psychology and philosophy are connected to each other in which they both study human mind that is influenced by historical and cultural forces, and various perspectives through time; these will eventually help people get organized with their thoughts and mental disorders. Psychology began in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt created the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig. Since then, psychology officially cut itself off from the philosophy. The first step of exploring psychology was structuralism. The idea was that object of psychological investigation should be the conscious mind, and introspection should be the studying method of this approach. This approach was very limited in a way of explaining and therefore, it was replaced by functionalism. Functionalism was investigated by William James who was influenced by Darwin’s view. This approach believed workings of the mind are functional. It is the investigation o what behavior and thoughts are for. After functionalism was psychoanalysis. This was a method of therapy that argued human’s behavior is determined by processes of which they are unconscious. Sigmud Freud described this approach as an underlying theory of the human mind and behavior that has had an enormous impact on psychology. Next step was behaviorism. It suggested that psychology should only observe the observable things. It had been dominant until 1950′s when cognitive psychology was newly investigated. Cognitive psychology studied the mind by using computer information. It was a more advanced approach that science methods were applied. Later, humanistic approach followed. It was less scientific but it focused on individual’s conscious experience and aims in life. The latest approach was biological approach. It dealt with evolutionary, physiological, and genetic relationships with psychology. Psychology had been developed through out a long time and many different approaches. James was influential in a way that previously academics had been wary of. Wundt liked to control all his research but James positively forced his students to think for themselves and to take psychology forward as a science. James had no particularly new psychological ideas for his students to adhere to and he encouraged and inspired them to develop their own individual approaches. Three of James’s students G. Stanley Hall, Mary Whiton Calkins and Edward Lee Thorndike went on to contribute significantly to the development of American psychology. As a lecturer at Heidelberg Wundt earned a very low salary so he began to teach courses privately. His first course in experimental physiology he taught in his own home and attracted only four students. Wundt wished to further his career by both private teaching and private studies. His studies at this time were connected with earlier work in the fields of physiology and astronomy however these studies also carried implications for a future science of psychology. It was in these scientific experiments that Wundt developed his ideas for a hybrid of philosophy and physiology, which would eventually become psychology. He formulated two branches of psychology. The branch he is most famous for is experimental psychology. In this he took his experiences as a philosopher studying the mind and experiences in physiology studying the body and created a new area of science. He believed the mind could be studied in relation to the body and by controlled experimental conditions new hypotheses could be formulated and either supported or not in this new field. He did not believe however, that the experimental method would prove enough to provide a balanced view of the science of psychology. He also devised what he termed Volkerpsychologie (ethnic or folk psychology). This embraced especially the study of language, myth and custom. Academics have always been interested in how the mind works and indeed psychology has existed in one form or another for many years, but other subjects, especially philosophy, have often overshadowed it. Often it was seen as not scientific and philosophical in the sense that there seemed to be no concrete answers within the subject. Now it is one of the most popular subjects to study and has a firm place within the sciences. It is interesting to consider how this formulation of psychology as a science arose and how this new psychology and the old psychology have been merged together. The aim of this essay is to consider Wundt and James’s involvement in this transitional process between philosophy and psychology. The evidence presented should show that Wundt and James were extremely instructive and influential figures in the history of psychology. Wundt certainly had no startling new theories with relation to psychology but he succeeded in merging physiology and philosophy and making psychology an independent subject in its own right. He modelled his innovations on the progressions he saw in the other sciences. Although not a inspiring man he was the first man who could be called a psychologist without qualifying the statement by reference to another, stronger interest (Leahey, 1980,page 241). He also wrote the first texts on psychology and this succeeded in highlighting this new domain of science. Wundt’s experimental psychology has influenced the psychology seen today and has helped to cement psychology’s place within the other sciences. The laboratory studies contributed to the growing understanding of human anatomy and physiology. Scientists began to understand how the human brain affects mental processes and behaviour (Danziger, 1997). It is during this time that phrenology thrived. Phrenology asserted that the shape of an individual’s skull provided a way of establishing their personality traits. Plato’s ideas formed the basic thinking that gave birth to the rise of psychology as an independent discipline. For instance, he used Socrates beliefs on the divine nature of the human soul to challenge his own beliefs regarding the role of perception in understanding reality (Danziger, 1997). Plato was the first philosopher to develop a framework of human behaviour teaching literary essay writing, reasoning and impulses (Carlson, 2010). Plato went on to study the role played by fathers to model their sons. Aristotle can be recognized as one of the Greek philosophers who laid the foundation for the modern psychological thinking. His psychology was mixed with his studies on philosophy of the mind, reasoning and Nicomachean ethics (Carlson, 2010). Though he drew a lot from the teachings of Plato, his contributions had an immense impact on psychology. Other earlier Greek philosophers such as Thales also contributed immensely to the development of psychology. Carlson, H. (2010). Pschology, the science of behaviour. Toronto: Pearson. Philosophers that historically relate to the beginning of psychology Several case studies were conducted during that period help writing thesis statement, for instance, the Phineas Gage case study informed psychologists on the localization of brain functions and cognitive processes on the human brain(Carlson, 2010). From Darwin's theory of evolution came a deepening interest in studying the similarities of mental processes between humans and animals types of thesis statements, prompting the field of comparative psychology what does the thesis statement do, the study of animal behavior. Comparative psychology elicited the works of behaviorists Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner essay about motivation at work, both of whom were highly influential in launching the behaviorist movement. Darwin's theory of natural selection lead psychologists to delve deeper into researching individual differences amongst people in an attempt to find out why some thrived while others barely rise above average. Alfred Binet's intelligence tests were developed while the focus on individual differences was burgeoning, as intelligence is a major focus for studying differences between individuals. Evolutionary psychology was obviously, spawned by Darwin's theory. Evolutionary psychology is a field of cognitive psychology that is dedicated to explaining the causes of human behavior based upon adaptation and natural selection. With the growing popularity of psychology in the field of philosophy, it was only a matter of time before psychology captured the interest of academics with a more scientific approach to determining and explaining the causes for human behavior. Following on the footsteps of Wilhelm Wundt and William James cover letters for resumes, the founding fathers of modern psychology do i have too much homework, many scientists clamored to disprove current theories. As centuries have passed, and our knowledge and technology continues to advance, few philosophers and scientists have been so close to the mark with their theories to have influenced the field so greatly and still remain a vital part of our research for master thesis in, experiments, and theories today. John Locke, a 17th century English philosopher, and Charles Darwin, a 19th century naturalist and scientist are two men who fall into that category. John Locke's theories on how we gain knowledge were a turning point in child psychology in a time where children were meant to be seen and not heard. His beliefs still have validity today where the argument of nature vs. nurture comes into play. Charles Darwin catapulted functionalism to the head of the line in the field of psychology and opened up psychology to every field of research and data collection where human behavior is concerned. Darwin's theory of evolution is still a major focus in many fields of psychology and was one of the most important developments how to write an application letter example, to this date, in the field of psychology. Charles Darwin did not start the concept of evolution, the theory had been circulating for centuries before he even cracked open his first notebook. However, his theories of evolution and natural selection set the tone for studies and research that continues to thrive. His theory of natural selection is valid in that we are constantly adapting and changing as our environment and circumstances change. Darwin's theory came from every area of study from geology to zoology, and biology to animal husbandry. Those avenues of information and the combining of knowledge from different fields and areas of science are still open to us and have been extremely beneficial in continuing to broaden our efforts to explain the behavior of our fellow human beings. Darwin's theory highlighted the importance of studying individuals, and continues with behavior analysts and experimental psychologists worldwide. With the thoroughness and painstakingly detailed documentation and supporting evidence Darwin collected it would be difficult to pinpoint much that is not valid today from a psychological standpoint. The only true debates where Darwin's theories are concerned seem to stem from religion circles and creationists, which has little bearing on the attempt to explain human behavior. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/darwinism/ This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers. The philosophers who contributed a lot in the psychological field includes; Hippocrates between 460-377 B.C who was the first person to have suggested that the mind of individual resides in the brain. Between 427-347 free essay about english, B.C sample essays for sat, Plato suggested that the body and mind of a person were separated, but the mind was in the brain. Aristotle theory was different with Plato’s theory despite being a student of Plato. Aristotle (384-322) believed that the body and mind were not separate but one and the same. Ibn Sina (980-1037) had a different view from other philosophers as he believed that human beings consisted of both hidden (mind) and open elements (body) at the same time. Toward the end of the 1960s, the nature of the field began to change, and the face of modern psychology was forever altered. First, Ulrich Neisser’s 1967 book, Cognitive Psychology, ushered in the “cognitive revolution” and put behaviorism on the decline. Technological advances in computer technology, which allowed researchers to simulate human thought and memory processes and to create images of neurological processes, played an inestimable role in modern psychology’s metamorphosis. Likewise, advances in social concern and action increased psychologists’ awareness of psychology’s diversity and its ability to make significant contributions in these areas. To be sure, the face of contemporary psychology was changing drastically. In fact, in 1992 former American Psychological Association (APA) president George A. Miller believed that psychology had become “an intellectual zoo” (p. 40). Clearly, that situation has not changed, as psychology is evolving in the 21st century. Browse examples of psychology research papers to find sample research paper on all topics in the list above. Whether the research paper deals with a traditional topic or a cutting-edge topic, you will find that it presents the materials in a decidedly contemporary manner. We hope that students will enjoy reading the research papers on different topics in psychology as much as we have enjoyed collecting them for you.
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