Foundations of Psychology
Psychology was born from philosophy, when philosophers had a period of doubt about the limitations of morality, justice, and knowledge. In the late nineteenth century a need to understand the nature of thoughts, behaviors in minds, and feelings brought scientific investigation. Culture and biology have as much to do with psychology as philosophy does with the constraints of how a people think, feel, and act. Since this first laboratory psychology has answered many questions about the mind and the way people think. Psychology has been developed through biology, culture and philosophy whereas the school of thought in psychology helps with current perspectives.
Biology and Psychology
Behavioral neuroscience or biopsychology occurs when physicians or biologists not psychologist study electrical and chemical processes of the nervous system. On September 13, 1848 Phineas Gage set off an explosion that sent a bar through his head and change his personality. This accident set forth experiments producing surgical lesions in different regions of the animal’s brains to determine the effects on behavior. In 1836 Marc Dax a physician wrote a paper suggesting that aphasia or language disorders were associated with the brains left side. Localization of function was a major discover for behavioral neuroscience. Other discovers within the left hemisphere after Dax came from Paul Broca, who discovered that people with lesions in the left hemisphere’s front section could comprehend language but not speak. Carl Wernicke discovered that damage in the brain near Broca sections could speak fluently and follows grammar rules but made little sense. Just as much as the biology has to do with psychology the way a person was brought up also has an effect.
Culture and Psychology
Culture difference can create psychological difference. Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict are the first psychologically sophisticated anthropologists to address the relationship of personality and culture. “They argued that individual psychology is fundamentally shaped by cultural values, ideals, and ways of thinking. (Kowalski & Westen, 2005)” A developing child will conform to standards set by his or her culture. Psychological anthropologists observed the way child-rearing molds personalities.
Waking at a certain time, arriving and switching classes in a timely manner, even being punctual for work are not natural to humans but have become part of a person’s character or personality. Cross-cultural psychology was founded by a group of researchers pondering relationships between culture and psychological attributes. “Psychologists are now pondering the extent to which decades of research on topics such as memory, motivation, psychological disorders, and obedience have yielded results about people generally or about a particular group of people. (Kowalski & Westen, 2005)” Psychology can process the comparison and distinguish between universal and cultural processes with cross-cultural comparison. When philosophy wanted to know about nature, psychology was born.
Philosophy and Psychology
In 1879, Wilhelm Wundt of Leipzig, Germany founded the first psychological laboratory. The provinces of philosophy were once the attributes of human nature. In the early twentieth century philosophers went through a period of doubt, at this time psychologist began applying technology of natural sciences. Wundt wanted to uncover the units of human consciousness. Wundt and his students used introspection; he trained observers to report everything when a stimulus or task was given. With varied objects he could conclude elements of consciousness. Edward Titchener a student of Wundt’s speculated consciousness’ structure, and initiated structuralism. Structuralism was not the only school of thought.
Functionalism another school of thought emphasized the role or function process of psychology. This process helped individuals adapt such as to run away in the face of bear. In 1980 William James a founder of functionalism wrote the first psychology textbook. James believed knowledge of humans minds came from different sources. James believed that structuralism efforts were misguided. “Consciousness exists because it serves a function, and the task of the psychologist is to understand that function. (Kowalski & Westen, 2005).” These schools of thoughts serve as a foundation for other perspectives.
Psychology Perspectives
Perspectives of psychology are theories that science progresses with better paradigms. Paradigm is broad assumptions by the scientific community to make sense of a domain of experience. Thomas Kuhn a philosopher of science believed the social science and psychology were different from natural science. He believed that these sciences lacked a paradigm that the scientific community could agree upon. Kuhn believed the science could be broken into other perspectives. Sigmund Freud founded a treatment for psychological disorders known as psychoanalysis. This perspective has three key premises; actions are determined, by the way, of thought, a person’s feelings, and wishes. The next premise is a mental event occurs outside of the conscious awareness, and last mental processes may conflict. This theory does not just focus on individual personality or behavior it focuses on human experience and the entire person. A second perspective of psychology is behaviorist perspective.
The behaviorist perspective believes that objects and events cause behaviors through learning. Ivan Pavlov is a known behaviorist from his work with dogs. Pavlov discovered that dogs will salivate when a bell is rang from conditioning the dog that the bell signaled feeding time. If the bell rang even when food was not presented the dog would still salivate. B.F. Skinner furthered Pavlov theories into a psychological perspective by helping create the concept of behavior can change through reinforcement and punishment.
Conclusion
Psychology has many founders from biology, culture, and philosophy. The different perspectives and premises helped shape and develop the study of psychology. Some unanswered questions about the human mind still exist but as research furthers more of these questions find answers.
Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2005). Psychology (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
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