The first iterations of psychology

The first psycholigical clinic

1879

Wilhelm Wundt opens the first experimental laboratory in psychology at the University of Leipzig, Germany. Credited with establishing psychology as an academic discipline, Wundt’s students include Emil Kraepelin, James McKeen Cattell, and G. Stanley Hall.

The fist American psychlogical laboratory

1883

G. Stanley Hall, a student of Wilhelm Wundt, establishes the first U.S. experimental psychology laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.

First doctorate in psychology

1886

The first doctorate in psychology is given to Joseph Jastrow, a student of G. Stanley Hall at Johns Hopkins University. Jastrow later became a professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin and served as president of the American Psychological Association in 1900.

APA founded

1892

G. Stanley Hall founded the American Psychological Association (APA) and served as its first president. He later established two key journals in the field: the American Journal of Psychology (1887) and the Journal Of Applied Psychology (1917).

First psychology clinic

1896

After heading a laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, Lightner Witmer opens the world’s first psychological clinic to patients, shifting his focus from experimental work to practical application of his findings.

IQ tests developed

1905

Using standardized tests, Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon developed a scale of general intelligence based on mental age. Later researchers refine this work into the concept of intelligence quotient; IQ, and mental age over physical age. From their beginning, such tests’ accuracy and fairness are challenged.

A Mind That Found Itself

1908

Clifford Beers publishes A Mind That Found Itself, detailing his experiences as a patient in 19th-century mental asylums. Calling for more humane treatment of patients and better education about mental illness for the general population, the book inspires the mental hygiene movement in the United States.

Army intelligence tests implemented

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 many areas of civilian life, including academic and work settings.

Electroencephalogram invented

1929

Psychiatrist Hans Berger invents the electroencephalogram and tests it on his son. The device graphs the electrical activity of the brain by means of electrodes attached to the head.

Nazi persecution of psychologists

1933

After the Nazi party gains control of the government in Germany, scholars and researchers in psychology and psychiatry are persecuted. Many, including Freud, whose books are banned and burned in public rallies, move to Britain or the United States.

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.

Electroconvulsive therapy began

1938

Italian psychiatrist and neuropathologist Ugo Cerletti and his associates treat human patients with electrical shocks to alleviate schizophrenia and psychosis. ECT, while controversial, is proven effective in some cases and is still in use in 2001.

The Behavior of Organisms

1938

B.F. Skinner publishes The Behavior of Organisms, introducing the concept of operant conditioning. The work draws widespread attention to behaviorism and inspires laboratory research on conditioning.

National Mental Health Act Passed

1946

U.S. President Harry Truman signs the National Mental Health Act, providing generous funding for psychiatric education and research for the first time in U.S. history. This act leads to the creation in 1949 of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

First drug to treat depression

1951

Studies are published reporting that the drug imipramine may be able to lessen depression. Eight years later, the FDA approved its use in the United States under the name Tofranil.

First National Medal of Science to psychologist

1964

Neal E. Miller received the National Medal of Science, the highest scientific honor given in the United States, for his studies of motivation and learning. He is the first psychologist to be awarded this honor.

Evolutionary psychology

1976

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

Insanity Defense Reform Act passed

1984

U.S. Congress revises federal law on the insanity defense, partly in response to the acquittal of John Hinckley, Jr. of charges of attempted assassination after he had shot President Ronald Reagan. The act places the burden of proof for the insanity defense on the defendant.