Would someone be so kind as to tell me where an when psychology originated? If at all possible I would also like a "potted" definition of psychology. Thanks, Jeremy Crowe.

-- Jeremy Crowe (Jeremy.Crowe@lpct.scot.nhs.uk), March 23, 2004

Answers

I believe that Wilhelm Wundt is thought to be the founder of Psychology as a seperate disclipine. He studied anatomy and biology and psychology was borne out of this.

-- VICKY RICHINGS (VRICHINGS@BTOPENWORLD.COM), March 24, 2004.

"Wilhelm Wundt, the founder of experimental laboratory psychology, would attempt to draw the 'associational and psychophysical' themes together and in doing so produced the initial formulation of what would later become the "discipline" of psychological science. Contained within the initial methodological assumptions and empirical methods (i.e., style or goals of experimental practice), however, there were certain constrictive limitations and prescriptions which even Wundt's students would rebel against. Beyond that point, we should also be careful to mention upfront that all of the philosophical and empirical inquiries to be covered in this section (including Wundt's) take place within a pre-evolutionary context or conceptual framework which later psychological science would have to surmount."

http://www.comnet.ca/~pballan/section3(210).htm

-- Paul F. Ballantyne (pballan@comnet.ca), March 24, 2004.

Wundt is often given the honorary title of founder of psychology because he founded the first laboratory dedicated specifically to original psychological research (William James has one a few years earlier, but it was mainly a "demonstration" lab for his students). One probably shouldn't take such things too, too seriously, however, becuase there was lots of research done before that which we *now* consider to have been psychological in nature (e.g., Weber, Fechner, Helmholtz). And that is not to even mention the millennia of philosophical work on the nature of the mind which sometimes went under the name of "psychology."

-- Christopher Green (cgreen@chass.utoronto.ca), March 24, 2004.

It is true that this is the case. However, we need to consider the scientific method. It is essential that the scientific method is adopted in the persuit of psychological knowledge to form a basis and reputation for the area. It is true to say that Psychology is not not as devensive as it has needed to be in the past about it's standing as a science, and that we are not moving away from a totally objective view in some research. But, we must not lose sight of the fact that Wundt gave psychology a fighting chance of being held in the same type of esteem as other 'sciences'.

-- Vicky Richings (vrichings@btopenworld.com), March 26, 2004.

Hi Jeremy, My answer to your question on the origin of psychology may or may not be what you are interest in. Some psychologists see the origin of "psychology" as coming from human nature, a type of inherited interest and ability that can be seen early in childhood and probably existed in our distant prehisoric hominid ancestors. Along this line of evolutionary/developmental reasoning, we may also inherit other "seeds" of interest and ability for understand other areas of knowledge like "basic language", basic biology","basic physics" and "basic medicine". This evolutionary perspective is not meant to minimize the tremendous importance of maturation,learning, and cultural influences, or to minimize the significant impact of scientific ideas, institutions, and professions (particularly in the last few hundred years) on the world. Hope this helps, Paul

-- Paul Kleinginna (pkleinginna@georgiasouthern.edu), March 30, 2004.