tailieunhanh - An Introduction to the History of Psychology

Dreams puzzled early man, Greek philosophers spun elaborate theories to explain human memory and perception, Descartes postulated that the brain was filled with "animal spirits," and psychology was officially deemed a "science" in the 19th century. In this Fifth Edition, . Hergenhahn demonstrates that most of the concerns of contemporary psychologists are manifestations of themes that have been part of psychology for hundreds-or even thousands-of years. The book's numerous photographs and pedagogical devices, along with its biographical material on key figures in psychology, will engage you and facilitate your understanding of each chapter | CHAPTER 1 Introduction The definition of psychology has changed as the focus of psychology has changed. At various times in history psychology has been defined as the study of the psyche or the mind of the spirit of consciousness and more recently as the study of or the science of behavior. Perhaps then we can arrive at an acceptable definition of modern psychology by observing the activities of contemporary psychologists Some seek the biological correlates of mental events such as sensation perception or ideation. Some concentrate on understanding the principles that govern learning and memory. Some seek to understand humans by studying nonhuman animals. Some study unconscious motivation. Some seek to improve industrial-organizational productivity educational practices or child-rearing practices by utilizing psychological principles. Some attempt to explain human behavior in terms of evolutionary theory. Some attempt to account for individual differences among people in such areas as personality intelligence and creativity. Some are primarily interested in perfecting therapeutic tools that can be used to help individuals with mental disturbances. Some focus on the strategies that people use in adjusting to the environment or in problem solving. Some study how language develops and how once developed it relates to a variety of cultural activities. Some explore computer programs as models for understanding human thought processes. Still others study how humans change over the course of their lives as a function of maturation and experience. These are just a few of the activities that engage contemporary psychologists. Clearly no single definition of psychology can take into consideration the wide variety of activities engaged in by the more than 159 000 members and affiliates of the American Psychological Association personal communication with APA membership office 2000 not to mention the many other psychologists around the world. It seems best to say simply that .