History of Psychology

Plato

387 BCE

Plato suggested that the brain is the mechanism of mental processes.

Aristotle

335 BCE

Aristotle suggested that the heart is the mechanism of mental processes.

History of Psychology

Period: 300 BCE to Aug 31, 2017

Paul Broca

1861

French physician Paul Broca discovered an area in the left frontal lobe that plays a key role in language development.

First Psychology Lab

1879

Wilhelm Wundt opens the first laboratory of psychology in Germany. It was opened at University of Leipzig where they were credited with establishing psychology as an academic discipline.

American Lab

1883

The first laboratory of psychology in America is established at Johns Hopkins University

First Professor of Psycholgy

1888

The academic title "professor of psychology" is given to James McKeen Cattell in 1888, the first use of this designation in the United States. A student of Wilhelm Wundt's, Cattell serves as professor of psychology at University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University.

Functionalism

1896

Functionalism, an early school of psychology, focuses on the acts and functions of the mind rather than its internal contents. Its most prominent American advocates are William James and John Dewey, whose 1896 article "The Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology" promotes functionalism.

Structuralism

1896

Edward B. Titchener, a leading proponent of structuralism, publishes his Outline of Psychology. Structuralism is the view that all mental experience can be understood as a combination of simple elements or events. This approach focuses on the contents of the mind, contrasting with functionalism.

Dreams

1900

Sigmund Freud introduces his theory of psychoanalysis in The Interpretation of Dreams, the first of 24 books he would write exploring such topics as the unconscious, techniques of free association, and sexuality as a driving force in human psychology.

Pavlov

1902

Pavlov started from the idea that there are some things that a dog does not need to learn. In behaviorist terms, it is an unconditioned response.

APA Women President

1904

Mary Calkins is elected president of the APA. Calkins, a professor and researcher at Wellesley College, studied with William James at Harvard University, but Harvard denied her a Ph.D. because of her gender.

IQ Tests

1904

The first real IQ test was created in 1904 by Alfred Binet. The French government asked Binet to help decide which students were most likely to experience difficulty in school. Binet and his colleague Theodore Simon began developing questions that focused on things not explicitly taught in schools, such as attention, memory, and problem-solving skills.

Army Intelligence Test

1917

Standardized intelligence and aptitude tests are administered to two million U. S. soldiers during WWI. Soon after, such tests are used in all U.S. armed forces branches and in many areas of civilian life, including academic and work settings.

Alcoholics Anonymous

1935

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is founded by Bob Smith of Akron, Ohio. AA's group meetings format and 12-step program become the model for many other mutual-support therapeutic groups.

Psychotherapy

1952

A study on psychotherapy efficacy was published by Hans Eysenck suggesting that therapy is no more effective that no treatment at all. This prompted an onslaught of outcome studies which have since shown psychotherapy to be an effective treatment for mental illness.

Code of Ethics

1953

Code of Ethics for Psychologists was developed by the American Psychological Association.

Maslow

1954

Abraham Maslow helped to found Humanistic Psychology and later developed his famous Hierarchy of Needs.

Schizophrenia

1954

Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) first used in the treatment of schizophrenia

Berry

1961

John Berry introduced the importance of cross-cultural research bringing diversity into the forefront of psychological research and application.

First Doctor

1968

First Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) professional degree program in Clinical Psychology was established in the Department of Psychology at The University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign.

Evolutinary Psychology

1976

Richard Dawkins publishes The Selfish Gene, which begins to popularize the idea of evolutionary psychology. This approach applies principles from evolutionary biology to the structure and function of the human brain. It offers new ways of looking at social phenomena such as aggression and sexual behavior.

Cultural Psychology

1990

In Acts of Meaning, Four Lectures on Mind and Culture, Jerome Bruner helps formulate cultural psychology, an approach drawing on philosophy, linguistics, and anthropology. Refined and expanded by Hazel Markus and other researchers, cultural psychology focuses on the influences and relationship among mind, cultural community and behavior.

Artificial Intelligence

1997

Deep Blue, the supercomputer at the time, beats the World’s best chess player, Kasparov, marking a milestone in the development of artificial intelligence.

Mental Health Coverage

2002

The push for mental health parity gets the attention of the White House as President George W. Bush promotes legislation that would guarantee comprehensive mental health coverage.

New Mexico

2002

New Mexico becomes the first state to pass legislation allowing licensed psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medication.