psychology timeline

• 17th-19th century


  Psychology is a branch of the broader discipline of philosophy. If psychology has a definition during this time it is best understood as experimental philosophy.
• 1879


  Wundt opens the 1st experiment lab in Germany, & psychology emerges as a distinct discipline in it's own rights
• 1900's


  Freud published 'the interpretation of dreams' & the psychodynamic approach is established the influence. He influence of the unconscious mind on behaviour, alongside the development of his person: psychoanalysis. He said physical problems could be explained by conflicts in the mind
• 1913


  John Watson writes 'psychology as the behaviourist view' & with Skinner's later contributions they created the behaviourist approach. The behaviourist & psychodynamic approaches dominate psychology for the next 50 years
• 1950's


  Carl Rodgers & Abraham Maslow develop the humanistic approach, which was nicknamed the '3rd force in psychology' rejecting the views favoured by behaviourism & the psychodynamic approach that human behaviour was not determined by the individual. Human psychologists emphasise the importance of self-determination & free will
• 1960's


  Around the time of the cognitive revolution, Albert Bandura proposes the social-learning theory - this approach draws attention to the role of cognitive factors in learning , providing a bridge between the newly established cognitive approach & radiational behaviourism
• 1800's onwards


  The biological approach begins to establish itself as a dominant scientific perspective in psychology. This is due to the advances in technology that have led to an increased understanding of the brain & biological processes
• Start of 21st century


  Towards the end of the last century, cognitive neuroscience emergences as a distinct discipline bringing together the cognitive & biological approaches. Cognitive neuroscience is built on the earlier computer model & investigates how biological structures influence mental states
• John Watson


  American psychologist who introduced the behaviourist approach in 1913