Definition and History of Psychology

Introduction: This paper is about the definition of Psychology and the history. It will include the three major stages of psychology, as well as the psychological theories and the main leaders of each theory. In the conclusion I will expand my discussion by stating and explaining my opinion to two of the theories talked about in this paper.
Body:
The word psychology means the science of behavior and mental processes. It also explains how we perceive, learn, remember, solve problems, communicate, feel, and relate to other people, from birth to death, intimate relationships and in groups. Psychologists also rely on the scientific method, an approach to knowledge that relies on collecting data, generating a theory to explain the data, producing testable hypothesis based on the theory, and testing those hypotheses empirically, when seeking to answer questions. In the late twentieth century, psychology expanded dramatically. There were discoveries of new research, technologies, new fields of inquiry, and new approaches to studying behavior and mental processes. These new discoveries led to greater specialization, more collaboration with other sciences, and the academic equivalent of an identity crisis.
The three psychological theories are:
1. Voluntarism and Structuralism by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Bradford Titchener – Wundt tried to explain immediate experience and to develop ways to study it scientifically, though he also believed that some mental processes could not be studied through scientific experiments. He also explained that attention is actively controlled by intensions and motives, which gave rise to his use of the term voluntarism in describing his view of psychology; it is this that sets human attention apart from attention in other organisms. Attention controls other psychological processes, such as perceptions, thoughts, and memories.
Titchener's ideas were different than Wundt's in many ways. He stated that psychologists should analyze complex experiences in terms of their highest components. For example, when people look at a banana they immediately think, "Here is a fruit, something to eat." But this perception is based on associations with past experience; Titchener looked for the most fundamental elements, or "atoms," of thoughts. He also broke consciousness down into three basic elements: physical sensations (what we see), feelings (such as liking or disliking things), and images (memories of other things). He saw psychology's role as identifying elements and showing how they can be combined and integrated-an approach called structuralism.
2. Functionalism by William James – William James was the first to challenge structuralism. As a young man, he earned a degree in psychology and studied philosophy on his own, unable to decide which one interested him the most. He then found a link between psychology and philosophy. James developed a functionalist theory of mental processes and behavior that raised questions about learning, the complexities of mental life, the impact of experience on the brain, and humankind's place in the natural world. It was also clear to him that consciousness evolved because it performs an adaptive function. If we could not recognize an item, we would have to figure it out what it was every time we saw it. Mental association allows us to benefit from previous experience. James suggested that when we repeat something, our nervous systems are changed so that each repetition is easier that the last.
3. Psychodynamic Psychology by Sigmund Freud – Sigmund Freud is one of the best well known psychologists and the most controversial. He was fascinated by the central nervous system. His work with patients convinced him that many nervous ailments are psychological rather that physiological in origin. Freud's clinical observations led him to develop a comprehensive theory of mental life that differed from the views of his peers. The psychodynamic theory can be defined as personality theories contending that behavior results from psychological forces that interact within the individual, often outside conscious awareness. Freud believed that humans are not as rational as they imagine. He also saw the unconscious as a dynamic cauldron of primitive sexual aggressive drives, forbidden desires, nameless fears and wishes, and traumatic childhood memories. Freud then developed a technique called psychoanalysis, which is when the patient lies on the couch, recounts dreams, and says whatever comes to mind. Psychodynamic theory laid the foundation for the study of personality and psychological disorders.
The growth of psychology is divided into three major stages. They are:
1. The emergence of a science of a mind – In the late 1800's psychology then came into being as a formal, scientific discipline separate from philosophy, and the foundations of the "new psychology", the science of psychology, were laid.
2. The behaviorist decades – The study of behaviorism is the school of psychology that studies only observable and measurable behavior.
3. The "cognitive revolution" – refers to a general shift away from limited focus on behavior toward a broad interest in mental processes. Cognitive psychology is the study of our mental processes in the broadest sense: thinking, feeling, learning, remembering, making decisions and judgments, and so on.

Conclusion: In conclusion to my paper, I would like to expand on a couple of the theories I explained. The first one would be on psychodynamic theory by Sigmund Freud. I feel he really explained this theory well because he really examines the patients on how their thought processes are different for different thoughts. The way he has you lay on a couch and just say whatever comes to mind and then observing how they react to those thoughts. Another theory I found interesting that I would like to elaborate on is on the functionalist theory by William James. I really liked how he explained the fact that if we don't recognize and item, we will have to figure out what it is every time we look at it. I think that is so true because our minds think in repetition. We look at everyday things so much that we remember them so the next time we look at them, we know what it is.