historical development

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What were the historical developments in science and philosophy that contributed to the establishment of psychology as a separate science?

-- Rodney B. Joshua (rodjosh23@yahoo.com), February 27, 2005

Answers

This is a very complicated question. Best to have a look at any of the many history of psychology textbooks on the market. VERY roughly, Wilhelm Wundt brought his physiological training with Helmholtz to bear on certain questions of an elementary psychological character (sensation, perception, etc.), setting up the first laboratory specifically for the purpose of original psychological experimentation in 1879 in Leizig.

-- Christopher Green (christo@yorku.ca), March 01, 2005.

Hi Rodney, In addition to the usually mentioned developments in science and philosophy (and in academic institutions) that influenced the establishment of psychology as a separate science, there may also be the effect of an accumulation of a critical mass of questions and theories of a psychological nature, combined with an increasingly pragmatic and optimistic attitudes toward problem solving. There was also the related assumption that measuring something may help us understand it better, as well as and let us use the knowledge to deal with some of our personal or social problems. I hope this helps. Paul

-- Paul Kleinginna (prk@frontiernet.net), March 06, 2005.

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