Humans Have Been Intrigued by the Workings

¶ … humans have been intrigued by the workings of the human mind. Philosophers and physiologists pondered the questions that psychology, as an independent science, now addresses. Psychology is the study of mind and behavior, both in humans and animals. There exist many subfields within this discipline and as such, supporters of each may alter the aforementioned definition to emphasize their area of concentration.

Developmental psychology examines changes and growth over the lifespan. Child and adolescent psychology along with gerontology are subdisciplines of developmental psychology. The influence and effect others have on our feelings, behaviors, and thoughts describes social psychology. Personality psychology is the study of stable characteristics that influence behavior. Traits include aggressiveness, anxiety, and sociability to name a few. Experimental psychology, as the name implies, relies on the experimental method in its proceedings. Fields of research include cognition, sense perception, and memory. Biological processes are the central concerns in physiological psychology; the bulk of topics revolve around the functioning of the neurological system. Clinical psychology attempts to assess and remedy abnormal and maladaptive behaviors. The psychological phenomena of business and industry, such as productivity, personnel practices, and market research illustrate themes in organizational psychology.

The emergence of psychology as an independent science began in Germany in 1879, with Wilhelm Wundt, who established the first psychological laboratory. In the first stages of development, psychology mirrored its procedures to those of the natural sciences. This means that experiments were carried out using the scientific method. In doing such, the formative years of psychology considered only those experiences that could be externally manipulated. The findings of Edward Titchener and Wundt were influential during this period as they incorporated structuralism in their work. In other words, the findings of physics and chemistry, which stated that matter could be reduced to basic elements, shaped the progress of psychology. Similarly, structuralism declared that even complex thought processes could be broken down into elemental components.

Structuralism evolved into functionalism with William James. Functionalism stresses the analysis of mind and behavior in terms of their utility in the environment. Stated differently, it explores how we use perception to operate in the world.

Psychoanalysis, and its development in the 1890's with Sigmund Freud, brought about a new direction in psychology. The role of personality is a central figure in this theory as is the unconscious and the underlying motivation of human behavior. The investigative approach to psychoanalysis varies dramatically from those approaches listed above. Specifically, free association, dream interpretation, and retrospective examination are ways in which psychoanalysts carry out their work.

Behaviorism took root in the early part of the twentieth century with the efforts of John B. Watson. This school of thought proclaims that in order for psychology to be a true science, it must research only overt behaviors. With such a definition, phenomenon such as consciousness was not a legitimate area of study. B.F. Skinner further promoted this standpoint with his experiments. However, Skinner, unlike Watson, was more concerned with the consequences that acts have on the environment.

In the 1960's yet another approach to psychology emerged. Gestalt and humanistic psychology appreciate the person as a holistic being, rather than an amalgam of parts. This can easily be revealed with the term gestalt, a German word that means essence or configuration. Humanistic psychology, largely the product of Abraham Maslow, devotes its energy to cognitive and emotional needs and self-actualization.

Cognitive psychology is the investigation of mental processes. Major focal areas include learning, thinking, and feeling. Aaron T. Beck was mainly responsible for creating cognitive therapy, which centers on an individual's interpretation of events and how those affect subsequent behaviors. The primary objective of therapy is to change an individual's perception of events.

New directions in psychology include evolutionary and positive psychologies. The adaptation of behaviors and mental processes describes the former. Positive psychology, as the name implies, is the study of happiness, well-being, and positive attitudes. Feminine psychology is yet another subfield that has recently surfaced. Naturally, it delves into the psychology of women.

As with other theories in various disciplines, those of psychology possess both strengths and weaknesses. For example, psychoanalysis has had an immense influence on the theories of other psychologists. Certainly it has imparted its ideas on contemporary society. Nearly all have heard of Freud and his theory of personality. While this school of thought proposed valid ideas and brought about radical change in the field, it has some serious limitations. Psychotherapy's emphasis on the past does not allow the potential of present and future events to shape the individual. In essence, Freud believed that the personality was completely developed by the age of five. How is it possible, given this limitation, to explain personality changes that one experiences over the lifespan? Another limitation of Freud's theory is his sole use of neurotic patients. Naturally, those with abnormal behaviors and thoughts are not a representative sample of humanity.