In this article we will discuss modern era of psychology/ modern period of psychology/ modern psychology in detail. Modern era of psychology is also called history of modern era of psychology. We will also discuss what is the modern psychology in depth.
Table of Contents
Ernst Heinrich Weber | Herman Von Helmholtz | Gustav T. Fechner | Charles Darwin | Francis Galton | Wilhelm Wundt.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, thinkers stepped up their efforts to make psychology competitive with other sciences. For this purpose, first of all, objective observation was emphasized, so that the study of facts could be done scientifically.
In the early nineteenth century, Franz Gall and Johann Spurzheim attempted to study the human brain by the size and shape of the skull. Until then, scientists generally agreed that mental functions were related to the head.
Franz Gall and Johann Spurzheim sought to study mental functions scientifically, and this science called phrenology. They believed that a person who showed significant abilities in his character would develop this part of his skull better.
For example, if a person was found to be very generous in life, they would examine that person's skull and if they saw a particular type of bulge, they would associate it with this prominent feature of his. However, this study was rejected due to lack of scientific basis.
There were also studies on the structure of the head which proved that mental abilities have nothing to do with the structure of the head, however, these efforts resulted in an interest in the structure and functions of the nervous system.
Modern Era of Psychology - Organ's expert Johannes Muller said the type of sensation that is tested, depends on the organ's sensor.
Modern Era of Psychology
Research and development in the physical sciences have greatly influenced psychology, and the following are some of the valuable works of German experts in this field:
Ernst Heinrich Weber
EH Weber was a professor at the University of Leipzig, he introduced psycho-physics. He clarified the relationship between external sensations and sensory experiences known as Weber's Law.
According to him, our senses have the power to feel the transformation. He proved by experimenting on the sense of heat that experiments on the senses can also be done in a purely scientific manner.
Herman Von Helmholtz
He presented the theory of sight color in 1857 and the theory of hearing in 1863. He also presented research on measuring the speed of a nerve wave. These ideas are still valid today.
Gustav T. Fechner
Fechner is called to be the founder of psycho-physics. According to him, psycho-physics is the science that deals with the interaction of body and mind.
Fechner presented a method of measuring sensory thresholds. Sensory threshold means that every human being has a certain amount of endurance in his senses. If the power of the senses exceeds the power of the senses, the senses are damaged.
Fechner calls the extreme endurance of the senses the upper threshold. According to Fechner, there are two types of thresholds, the absolute threshold, that is, the minimum force of the stimulus that an individual can feel.
And the second type is the differential threshold, which refers to the minimum amount or force of stimulus that makes the individual feel the increase or decrease in stimulus. Fechner also explained psychological functions with the help of some statistical methods.
Charles Darwin
Charles, in his book “The Origin of Species”, in 1959 presented the theory of evolution, in which he made it clear that man's ancestors were animals, from whom he derived mental attributes.
He also wrote a detailed book on the development of emotions. Darwin's theory of evolution had a profound effect on the biological sciences and psychology.
Sir Francis Galton
Sir Francis Galton researched intelligence and its measurements, and consequently theorized about individual differences in intelligence. Galton thought that the intelligence is an inheritance.
He used statistics to study individual differences in intelligence. Galton was so convinced of hereditary intelligence that he completely ignored the importance of environmental factors influencing intelligence, such as training, education, and experience.
Wilhelm Wundt
By the end of the nineteenth century, psychology had gradually become a separate entity from philosophy, anatomy, and physics. Fechner showed the way to make psychology a science. It was compiled by William Wundt.
Who is the Father of Modern Psychology?
William Wundt is also considered the founder of modern psychology, who wrote the first major book on experimental psychology.
Psychology emerged as a separate science when William Wundt set up the First Psychological Laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1979.
William Wundt worked tirelessly with Edward B. Titchener to develop psychology. He first studied consciousness through experiment, which is why he is called the founder of experimental psychology.
The University of Leipzig explored the effects of light on retina, visual contrast, color and color blindness, post-image, sound recognition, sound difference, and auditory thresholds.
In many experiments, William Wundt used many tools. Some were borrowed from physics and some from physiology, and some were made by William Wundt and his colleagues. Despite much criticism, the fame of modern psychology spread from Leipzig to the rest of the world, most notably in the United States.
Psychological laboratories were established at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Cornell and other American Universities. By the end of this century, psychological laboratories had been established in all American Universities.
Psychologists from Europe and the United States came to the University of Leipzig to study, and returned to their home countries to set up laboratories.
Modern Era of Psychology - The American scientist Stanley Hall established the first psychological laboratory in 1883 at Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
Modern Era of Psychology - After that, experiments on learning, memory, intelligence and personality began in all the developed countries of the world. As a result, psychology took on its current advanced form.
Modern Era of Psychology - Experts in the field of stimulus, response and field theories worked hard on the learning process. The series stars are CL Hill, BF Skinner, ER Guthrie and Lewin Kurt.
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