A History of Modern Psychology

The focus of this book is the history of modern psychology, the period beginning in the late nineteenth century, when psychology became a separate and independent discipline. Although we briefly review earlier psychological thought, we concentrate on issues directly related to the establishment of psychology as a a new and distinct field of study. Our purpose is to present a history of modern psychology, not the centuries of philosophical work that preceded it. We recount the history of psychology in terms of people, ideas, and schools of thought, as well as the spirit of the times that influenced their development. Since the formal beginning of the field in 1879, psychology's methods and subject matter have changed as each new idea captured the loyalty of adherents and dominated the field for a time. Our interest, then, is the developing sequence of approaches that have defined psychology over the years. Each school of thought is discussed as a movement arising within a historical and social context. Contextual forces include the intellectual spirit of the times (the Zeitgeist), as well as social, political, and economic factors such as the effects of war, prejudice, and discrimination. Although the chapters are organized in terms of the schools of thought, we also recognize that these systems resulted from the work of individual scholars, researchers, organizers, and promoters. It is people, not abstract forces, who write articles, conduct research, present papers, popularize ideas, and teach the next generation of psychologists. We discuss the contributions of the pivotal men and women, noting that their work was often affected not only by the times in which they flourished but also by their own personal life expectancies. We describe each school of thought in terms of its connection to the scientific ideas and discoveries that preceded and followed it. Each school evolved from or revolted against the existing order an in its turn inspired viewpoints that challenged, opposed, and eventually replaced it. With the hindsight of history, then, we can trace the pattern and the continuity of the development of modern psychology. Here are a few examples of material new to this edition--from preface.