Psychology

What is psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior.^[1] It asks questions such as where creativity comes from, why people hold prejudices, and what consciousness is.^[1]

Why it counts as a science

Psychologists use the scientific method. They propose hypotheses, make observations, run experiments and publish their results so that others can repeat them.^[1] Psychology is empirical, meaning it rests on measurable data. Because nobody can look directly into a mind, psychologists study it indirectly through observable behavior, biological indicators and people’s own reports.^[1]

Psychology sits between two worlds. It is a natural science when it studies the biology of behavior, and a social science when it studies how people are shaped by one another.^[1]

A short history

Until the late 1800s, questions about the mind belonged to philosophy.^[1] Then the German scientist Wilhelm Wundt, the first person to be called a psychologist, established a psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879. He used instruments such as those that measure reaction time.^[2]

New approaches followed, each reacting to the ones before:

• Functionalism. William James argued that psychology should study what behavior does for us in the world.^[2]
• Psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud focused on the unconscious mind and early childhood experiences.^[2]
• Gestalt psychology. Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka and Wolfgang Köhler stressed that how the parts of an experience fit together is often what we respond to.^[2]
• Behaviorism. John B. Watson focused on observable behavior, and B. F. Skinner on how behavior is shaped by its consequences.^[2]
• Humanism. Abraham Maslow proposed a hierarchy of human needs, and Carl Rogers developed client-centered therapy built on empathy and “unconditional positive regard”.^[2]
• The cognitive revolution. By the 1950s, new ideas from linguistics, neuroscience and computer science revived interest in the mind itself.^[2]

People who widened the field

• In 1894, Margaret Floy Washburn became the first woman to be awarded a doctoral degree in psychology.^[2]
• Mary Whiton Calkins completed the work for a doctorate, but Harvard refused to award her the degree because she was a woman.^[2]
• In 1920, Francis Cecil Sumner became the first African American to earn a PhD in psychology in the United States.^[2]
• Martha Bernal became the first Latina to earn a doctoral degree in psychology, in 1962.^[2]

Why study psychology?

Studying psychology builds critical thinking and helps you understand the many factors that shape behavior: biology, environment and experience.^[1] It is also one of the most popular university subjects: about 6% of bachelor’s degrees in the United States are awarded in psychology.^[1]