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Period: 300 BCE to
History of Psychology
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Franz Mesmer
Franz Mesmer detailed his cure for a mental illness, originally called mesmerism and is now referred to as hypnosis -
Philippe Pinel
Philippe Pinel released the first mental patients from confinement in the first massive movement for more humane treatment of the mentally ill. -
Franz Gall
Franz Gall wrote about phrenology (the idea that a person’s skull shape and placement of bumps on the head can reveal personality traits. -
Ernst Weber
Ernst Heinrich Weber published his perception theory of ‘Just Noticeable DIfference,’ now known as Weber’s Law. -
Phineas Gage
Phineas Gage suffered brain damage when an iron pole pierces his brain. His personality was changed but his intellect remained intact suggesting that an area of the brain plays a role in personality. -
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin published the On the Origin of Species, detailing his view of evolution and expanding on the theory of ‘Survival of the fittest.’ -
Paul Broca
French physician Paul Broca discovered an area in the left frontal lobe that plays a key role in language development. -
Sir Francis Galton
Sir Francis Galton, Influenced by Charles Darwin’s ‘Origin of the Species,’ publishes ‘Hereditary Genius,’ and argues that intellectual abilities are biological in nature. -
Carl Wernicke
Carl Wernicke published his work on the frontal lobe, detailing that damage to a specific area damages the ability to understand or produce language -
Stanley Hall
G. Stanley Hall received the first American Ph.D. in psychology. He later founded the American Psychological Association. -
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud published ‘Interpretation of Dreams’ marking the beginning of Psychoanalytic Thought. -
Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Pavlov published the first studies on Classical Conditioning. -
Alfred Adler
Alfred Adler left Freud’s Psychoanalytic Group to form his own school of thought, accusing Freud of overemphasizing sexuality and basing his theory on his own childhood. -
Psychological Corporation
Psychological Corporation launched the first psychological test development company, not only commercializing psychological testing, but allowing testing to take place at offices and clinics rather than only at universities and research facilities. -
Walter B. Cannon
1932 Walter B. Cannon coined the term homeostasis and began research on the fight or flight phenomenon. -
Journal of Clinical Psychology
The Journal of Clinical Psychology was founded. -
Thorazine
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) first used in the treatment of schizophrenia. -
Carl Rogers
Carl Rogers published ‘On Becoming a Person,’ marking a powerful change in how treatment for mental health issues is conducted. -
Howard Gardner
Howard Gardner (professor at Harvard University) introduced his theory of multiple intelligence, arguing that intelligence is something to be used to improve lives not to measure and quantify human beings. -
George W. Bush
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.
