History And Theories Of Psychology

Does mainstream psychology offer us a 'true' insight into human nature? Or are current psychological theories and philosphies as much to be taken in the context of today's social and political thinking as were past beliefs within the discipline? Addressing this sometimes contentious debate, 'History and Theories of Psychology' introduces the core issues of critical psychology from a historical perspective. The authors show how the development of the discipline, far from being a steady progression towards an empirically verifiable truth, has been significantly shaped by its host society throughout history. The book is divided into two main sections. The first provides an overview of the history of psychology, using the benefit of hindsight to demonstrate how the discipline has been influenced and encroached upon by external events. The second applies the same broad perspective to issues in present day psychology, covering topics such as: the role of contemporary psychology, methodology within psychology, folk psychology and social constructionism. By addressing these issues in the light of critical psychology, the book aims to present a more realistic appreciation of the nature and scope of modern psychology, promoting greater critical awareness in students and teachers alike.

Psychology, the study of mind and behaviour, has developed as a unique discipline in its brief history. Whether as it currently takes place, or how it has been conducted over the past 140 years or so since it became recognized as a separate field of study, there has been constant debate on its identity as a science. Psychology in Historical Context: Theories and Debates examines this debate by tracing the emergence of Psychology from parent disciplines, such as philosophy and physiology, and analyzes key topics such as: the nature of science, itself a much misunderstood human activity often equated with natural science; the nature of the scientific method, and the relationship between data gathering and generalization; the nature of certainty and objectivity, and their relevance to understanding the kind of scientific discipline Psychology is today. This engaging overview, written by renowned author Richard Gross, is an accessible account of the main conceptual themes and historical developments. Covering the core fields of individual differences, cognitive, social, and developmental psychology, as well as evolutionary and biopsychology, it will enable readers to understand how key ideas and theories have had impacts across a range of topics. This is the only concise textbook to give students a thorough grounding in the major conceptual ideas within the field, as well as the key figures whose ideas have helped to shape it.

Offering a fresh, accessible, and global approach to the history of psychology, the fully revised Second Edition of Eric B. Shiraev’s A History of Psychology: A Global Perspective, provides a thorough view of psychology’s progressive and evolving role in society and how its interaction with culture has developed throughout history, from ancient times through the Middle Ages and the modern period to the current millennium. Taking an inclusive approach, the book addresses contemporary and classic themes and theories with discussion of psychology's applications and its development in many cultures and countries. High-interest topics, including the validity of psychological knowledge and volunteerism, offer readers the opportunity to apply the history of psychology to their own lives.

Closely paralleling the history of psychology is the history of its critics, their theories, and their contributions. The Critique of Psychology is the first book to trace this alternate history, from a unique perspective that complements the many existing empirical, theoretical, and social histories of the field. Thomas Teo cogently synthesizes major historical and theoretical narratives to describe two centuries of challenges to—and the reactions of—the mainstream. Some of these critiques of content, methodology, relevance, and philosophical worldview have actually influenced and become integrated into the canon; others pose moral questions still under debate. All are accessibly presented so that readers may judge their value for themselves: - Kant’s critique of rational and empirical psychology at the end of the 18th century - The natural-scientific critique of philosophical psychology in the 19th century - The human-scientific critique of natural-scientific psychology - The Marxist traditions of critique - Feminist and postmodern critiques and the contemporary mainstream - Postcolonial critiques and the shift from cross-cultural to multicultural psychology This is not a book of critique for critique’s sake: Teo defines the field as a work in progress with goals that are evolving yet constant. In emphasizing ethical and political questions faced by psychology as a discipline, this visionary book points students, academics, and practitioners toward new possibilities for their shared future.

Outline of Theoretical Psychology discusses basic philosophical problems in the discipline and profession of psychology. The author addresses such topics as what it means to be human in psychology; how psychological knowledge is possible and what it consists of; the role of social justice in psychology; and how aesthetic experience could help us to understand the human condition. Proposing possible solutions to a range of such issues, Thomas Teo situates theoretical questions within traditional branches of philosophical inquiry: ontology, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. This book argues that in order to improve psychology as a discipline and in practice, psychologists must reconceive the unit of psychological analysis, looking beyond individual capacity and even experience. By engaging with these basic philosophical problems, Teo demonstrates how psychology can avoid its common pitfalls and continue as a force for resistance and the good.

This edition approaches psychology as a discipline with antecedents in philosophical speculation and early scientific experimentation. It covers these early developments, 19th-century German experimental psychology and empirical psychology in tradition of William James, the 20th century dubbed "the age of schools" and dominated by psychoanalysis, behavioralism, structuralism, and Gestalt psychology, as well as the return to empirical methods and active models of human agency. Finally it evaluates psychology in the new millennium and developments in terms of women in psychology, industrial psychology and social justice

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the purpose of history for psychology. Its purpose is to ask why history should be of concern to psychologists in teaching and research, and in theory and in practice. The future position of humanities subjects is currently highly debated on all fronts. Chapters focus on the arguments from psychologists, upgrade the precision and quality of discussion, and thus, provide a base for affirming the place of history of psychology in the broad field of psychological activity. A fundamental question dominates the discussion. Is the purpose of the history of psychology to serve current psychology, rather than to contribute to historical knowledge – and to enter large debates about what historical knowledge means for being human? If the answer is yes, as most psychologists who come to the issues will presume, in what ways? Are these ways philosophically grounded, or do the social and political conditions of power and funding in universities dominate the arguments? In this volume, the contributors demonstrate the relation between historical investigations and current practice. Featured topics include: The history of psychology and its relation to feminism. The history of psychology and its relation to current research assessment and curriculum. The history of science and its relation to psychology. The metalanguage for psychology. Case studies of history in theory construction. Centrality of History for Theory Construction in Psychology will be of interest to psychologists, professors, graduate psychology students, and scholars in the human sciences.

This is the second edition of a 1980 publication, in which contributors explored theory and history by focusing on some of the central figures in the development of the discipline. Chapters focus on psychophysics (the oldest incarnation of experimental psychology) and on Gestalt, cognitive and evolutionary psychology. This text is considerably updated and expanded, covering such seminal influences as Fechner, G.E. Muller, Wundt, Galton, James, Darwin, Baldwin and Vygotsky; such topics as the Americanization of psychology and psychoanalysis, the relationship between politics and psychology in the United States and the contrasting development of the concept of the self in Western and Eastern psychology; and reprinting chapters originally contributed by B.F. Skinner and Jean Piaget. This book documents the development of a continually evolving field - one that had a profound influence on the thought and culture of the 20th century.