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500 BCE
Greek Philosophers
The Grecians of the past began to attribute objects, behaviors, and conditions with descriptive statements to help explain the world we live in. -
Period: 1473 to 1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
Copernicus famously published the idea that the Earth was not the center of the universe, and that it was in fact the sun. This helped further develop the psychology of observation. -
Period: 1564 to
Galileo Galilei
Influenced by Copernicus, Galileo used telescopes and the power of observation to confirm hypotheses on start movement and positioning. -
Period: to
René Descartes
Disagreed with the popular idea of dualism, that the mind and body do not act together. Descartes believed that indeed, there was a link between the body and mind. He used logic to determine that we use our minds to control our bodies, so they must be linked. -
Phrenology
The practice of examining bumps on a person's skull, trying to determine intellect or character traits. Phrenology helped develop the current study of Psychology that we have today. -
Period: to
Sir Francis Galton
Galton was a mathematician and scientist who decided to look further into heredity. His conclusions suggested that heredity along with the environment you're raised in determines your intelligence. -
Period: to
William James
Taught the first ever Psychology class at Harvard University. He also wrote the first Psychology textbook, which took him 12 years to write. He was known to be the founder of functionalism, but he himself wouldn't say he's a functionalist. -
Period: to
Sigmund Freud
Freud was one of the most famous Psychologists. He was a physician in Vienna until 1938. He suggested that people are more driven by their unconscious self than they think. With this theory, it states that our experiences are only the beginning, where below the surface there are many primal and instinctual urges. -
Functionalism
Functionalism is thought to be founded by William James in the late 19th century. It is the observation of how animals or humans adapt to their environment and situations. -
Behaviorism
Behaviorism is the psychology of observing behavior of animals or humans. Ivan Pavlov began his studies on behaviorism after originally beginning a study on canine digestion. In turn, he found more results on their behavior than anything. John B. Watson suggested that psychology should only consist of observable things, and later solidified the behaviorist argument. -
Gestalt Psychology
A group of German scientists (Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, Kurt Koffka) did away with structuralism and behaviorism. They claimed that the brain works in more of a pattern predicted way than parts to a whole. For example, when you see a chair, you identify it as a chair instead of wood and cushions. -
Psycho-biology
Psycho-biologists study the effects of the physical body on behavior. They look at the brain, nervous system, and hormones to determine possible effects in behavior. For example, autistic children share a deficit in serotonin, a key chemical having to do with behavioral issues. -
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitivists focus on how we process, store, and use memory, experience, creativity, problem-solving, and more. They think behavior is more than just a response to something, and that it is personalized to everyone. -
Humanism
Humanism is the belief that all humans are unique, equal, and all have the potential to direct themselves toward a positive goal. They do not believe the environment or unconscious forces has an effect on this. Abraham Maslow is a popular Humanist. -
Socio-cultural Psychology
The newest approach in psychology, it involves the influence of society and culture in psychology. This has to do with our knowledge, behavior, and morals set in culture and society. An example would be: How would you react to a sneeze? You might say bless you, or you may pay no mind.