History and Systems of Psychology

Catalog description

This course will survey the historical events relevant to the development of modern psychological theory, research, and application. We will review the roots of modern psychology in philosophy (beginning with the Greeks) and the biological and physical sciences. The course will also describe the different schools (e.g., structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, Gestalt psychology) and theories that emerged when psychology became a separate academic discipline (in the late 1800s). We will also look at the ways social and technological contexts have influenced the evolution of psychology theory, research, and practice. Finally, we will look at the current state of the field of psychology and anticipate its future directions.