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The Psychology Book (3 page)
DEVELOPMENTAL
286
Most human behavior
PHILOSOPHY
FROM INFANT TO ADULT
262
The goal of education is to
271
A child is not beholden to
Simon
PSYCHOLOGY OF
332 DIRECTORY
DIFFERENCE
PERSONALITY AND
274
Early emotional bonds are
INTELLIGENCE
10 INTRODUCTION
A
mong all the sciences, subject, but today the word most but the intangible nature of psychology is perhaps the
accurately describes “the science
subjects such as consciousness,
most mysterious to the
of mind and behavior.”
perception, and memory meant that
general public, and the most prone
psychology was slow in making
to misconceptions. Even though its
The new science
the transition from philosophical
language and ideas have infiltrated
Psychology can also be seen as a
speculation to scientific practice.
everyday culture, most people have
bridge between philosophy and
In some universities, particularly in
only a hazy idea of what the subject
physiology. Where physiology
the US, psychology departments
is about, and what psychologists
describes and explains the physical
started out as branches of the
actually do. For some, psychology
make-up of the brain and nervous
philosophy department, while in
conjures up images of people in
system, psychology examines the
others, notably those in Germany,
white coats, either staffing an
mental processes that take place
they were established in the science
institution for mental disorders or
within them and how these are
faculties. But it was not until the
conducting laboratory experiments
manifested in our thoughts, speech,
late 19th century that psychology
on rats. Others may imagine a man
and behavior. Where philosophy is
became established as a scientific
with a middle-European accent
concerned with thoughts and ideas,
discipline in its own right.
psychoanalyzing a patient on a
psychology studies how we come
The founding of the world’s
couch or, if film scripts are to be
to have them and what they tell us
first laboratory of experimental
believed, plotting to exercise some
about the workings of our minds.
psychology by Wilhelm Wundt
form of mind control.
All the sciences evolved from
at the University of Leipzig in
Although these stereotypes
philosophy, by applying scientific
1879 marked the recognition of
are an exaggeration, some truth
methods to philosophical questions,
psychology as a truly scientific
lies beneath them. It is perhaps
subject, and as one that was
the huge range of subjects that fall
breaking new ground in previously
under the umbrella of psychology
unexplored areas of research.
(and the bewildering array of terms
In the course of the 20th century,
beginning with the prefix “psych-”)
psychology blossomed; all of its
that creates confusion over what
major branches and movements
psychology entails; psychologists
Psychology has a long past,
evolved. As with all sciences, its
themselves are unlikely to agree
but only a short history.
history is built upon the theories
on a single definition of the word.
Hermann Ebbinghaus
and discoveries of successive
“Psychology” comes from the
generations, with many of the older
ancient Greek
psyche
, meaning
theories remaining relevant to
“soul” or “mind,” and
logia
, a
contemporary psychologists. Some
“study” or “account,” which seems
areas of research have been the
to sum up the broad scope of the
subject of study from psychology’s
INTRODUCTION 11
earliest days, undergoing different