conceptual and historical issues
During the emergence of psych when did the displine psych not exist?
pre-19th century
When and how did psych dramatically transform to be more relevant?
By 1900 they were taught courses/labs/journals/international congresses + specialists calling themselves ‘pschologists’
why did psych rapidly emerge as a subject to teach?
The mind, our behaviour, and our thoughts are natural parts of the world.
The mind, just like the body, has developed through evolution.
Because of this, psychology is viewed as something that can be studied scientifically using evidence.
evolutionary effects
In 1859, Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species introduced the idea of natural selection.
Later, Herbert Spencer’s Principles of Psychology (1855/1856) tried to apply evolutionary theory to explain how the human mind developed.
These early evolutionary ideas had a big influence on the development of psychology.
what are 3 evolutionary ideas for psych?
1)Humans develop in the same way as other animals, so we aren’t “special” or beyond scientific study.
2)Human behaviour can be compared to animal behaviour, and these comparisons are useful for understanding how we think and act.
3)Human development is seen as a progressive process, and this idea can also be applied to how societies and social behaviours change over time.
what influence did evolution on early psychology?
A tendency to explain behaviour through innate instincts.
Using animal behaviour to understand how human mental abilities may have evolved.
Seeing brain structures as representing different evolutionary stages.
Early evolutionary ideas were sometimes misused to claim that some races were “more natural” or “more evolved,” which fed into harmful eugenic beliefs.