History of psychology

Charles Darwin published the On the Origin of Species, detailing his view of evolution and expanding on the theory of ‘Survival of the fittest.’

French physician Paul Broca discovered an area in the left frontal lobe that plays a key role in language development

Sir Francis Galton, Influenced by Charles Darwin’s ‘Origin of the Species,’ publishes ‘Hereditary Genius,’ and argues that intellectual abilities are biological in nature

Carl Wernicke published his work on the frontal lobe, detailing that damage to a specific area damages the ability to understand or produce language

G. Stanley Hall received the first American Ph.D. in psychology. He later founded the American Psychological Association

Wilhelm Wundt founded the first formal laboratory of Psychology at the University of Leipzig, marking the formal beginning of the study of human emotions, behaviors, and cognitions

The first laboratory of psychology in America is established at Johns Hopkins University

Herman Ebbinghaus introduced the nonsense syllable as a means to study memory processes

Sigmund Freud began performing therapy in Vienna, marking the beginning of personality theory

The term “Mental Tests” was coined by James Cattell, beginning the specialization in psychology now known as psychological assessment

Sir Francis Galton developed the technique known as the correlation to better understand the interrelationships in his intelligence studies.

William James published ‘Principles of Psychology,’ that later became the foundation for functionalism

New York State passed the State Care Act, ordering indigent mentally ill patients out of poor-houses and into state hospitals for treatment and developing the first institution in the U.S. for psychiatric research

Foundation of the American Psychological Association (APA) headed by G. Stanley Hall, with an initial membership of 42

Alfred Binet founded the first laboratory of psychodiagnosis

Writings by John Dewey began the school of thought known as functionalism

The first psychological clinic was developed at the University of Pennsylvania marking the birth of clinical psychology

Edward Thorndike developed the ‘Law of Effect,’ arguing that “a stimulus-response chain is strengthened if the outcome of that chain is positive."

Sigmund Freud published ‘Interpretation of Dreams’ marking the beginning of Psychoanalytic Thought

The British Psychological Society was founded

Alfred Binet’s Intelligence Test was published in France

The Journal of Abnormal Psychology was founded by Morton Prince

Ivan Pavlov published the first studies on Classical Conditioning

Alfred Adler left Freud’s Psychoanalytic Group to form his own school of thought, accusing Freud of overemphasizing sexuality and basing his theory on his own childhood

Edward Thorndike published first article on animal intelligence leading to the theory of Operant Conditioning

William Stern developed the original formula for the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) after studying the scores on Binet’s intelligence test

Max Wertheimer published research on the perception of movement, marking the beginnings of Gestalt Psychology

John E. Watson published ‘Psychology as a Behaviorist Views It’ marking the beginnings of Behavioral Psychology

Carl G. Jung departed from Freudian views and developed his own theories citing Freud’s inability to acknowledge religion and spirituality. His new school of thought became known as Analytical Psychology

Stanford-Binet intelligence test was published in the United States

Robert Yerkes (President of APA at the time) developed the Army Alpha and Beta Tests to measure intelligence in a group format. The tests were adopted for use with all new recruits in the U.S. military a year later

John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner published the Little Albert experiments, demonstrating that fear could be classically conditioned

Psychological Corporation launched the first psychological test development company, not only commercializing psychological testing, but allowing testing to take place at offices and clinics rather than only at universities and research facilities

Wolfgang Kohler published ‘The Mentality of Apes’ which became a major component of Gestalt Psychology

Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud, published her first book expanding her father’s ideas in the treatment of children

Wolfgang Kohler criticizes behaviorism in his publication on Gestalt Psychology

Jean Piaget published ‘The Moral Judgment of Children’ beginning his popularity as the leading theorist in cognitive development

Walter B. Cannon coined the term homeostasis and began research on the fight or flight phenomenon

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) was published by Henry Murray

Egas Moniz published his work on frontal lobotomies as a treatment for mental illness

Electroshock therapy was first used on a human patient

Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Test was published which eventually became the most widely used intellectual assessment

The Canadian Psychological Associated was founded

Carl Rogers published ‘Counseling and Psychotherapy’ suggesting that respect and a non-judgmental approach to therapy is the foundation for effective treatment of mental health issues

Jean Piaget published ‘Psychology of Intelligence’ discussing his theories of cognitive development

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was developed and fast became the most widely researched and widely accepted psychological assessment device

The state of Connecticut passed licensure legislation for psychologists, becoming the first state to recognize psychology as a protected practice oriented profession

The Journal of Clinical Psychology was founded

Karen Horney published her feministic views of psychoanalytic theory, marking the beginning of feminism

Boulder Conference outlines scientist-practitioner model of clinical psychology, looking at the M.D. versus Ph.D. used by medical providers and researchers, respectively

Erik Erikson published ‘Childhood and Society,’ where he expands Freud’s Theory to include social aspects of personality development across the lifespan

A study on psychotherapy efficacy was published by Hans Eysenck suggesting that therapy is no more effective that no treatment at all. This prompted an onslaught of outcome studies which have since shown psychotherapy to be an effective treatment for mental illness

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was published by The American Psychiatric Association marking the beginning of modern mental illness classification

Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) first used in the treatment of schizophrenia

B.F. Skinner outlined behavioral therapy, lending support for behavioral psychology via research in the literature

Code of Ethics for Psychologists was developed by the American Psychological Association

Abraham Maslow helped to found Humanistic Psychology and later developed his famous Hierarchy of Needs

Leon Festinger proposed his theory of ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ and later became an influence figure in Social Psychology

John Berry introduced the importance of cross-cultural research bringing diversity into the forefront of psychological research and application

Carl Rogers published ‘On Becoming a Person,’ marking a powerful change in how treatment for mental health issues is conducted

Alfred Bandura introduced the idea of Observational Learning on the development of personality

Lawrence Kolberg introduced his ideas for the sequencing of morality development

Aaron Beck published a psychological model of depression suggesting that thoughts play a significant role in the development and maintenance of depression

DSM II was published by the American Psychiatric Association

First Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) professional degree program in Clinical Psychology was established in the Department of Psychology at The University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign

Joseph Wolpe published ‘The Practice of Behavior Therapy.'

First Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D.) awarded (from The University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign)

APA endorsed the Psy.D. degree for professional practice in psychology

DSM III published by the American Psychiatric Association

Howard Gardner (professor at Harvard University) introduced his theory of multiple intelligence, arguing that intelligence is something to be used to improve lives not to measure and quantify human beings

American Psychological Society established

The emergence of managed care prompts the APA to become more political, leading to the idea of Prescribing Psychologists and equity in mental health coverage

DSM IV published by the American Psychiatric Association

First Psychologists prescribe medication through the U.S. military’s psychopharmacology program

Deep Blue, the supercomputer at the time, beats the World’s best chess player, Kasparov, marking a milestone in the development of artificial intelligence

Psychology advances to the technological age with the emergence of e-therapy

Psychologists in Guam gain prescription privileges for psychotropic medication

New Mexico becomes the first state to pass legislation allowing licensed psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medication

The push for mental health parity gets the attention of the White House as President George W. Bush promotes legislation that would guarantee comprehensive mental health coverage

Plato suggested that the brain is the mechanism of mental processes

Aristotle suggested that the heart is the mechanism of mental processes.

Franz Mesmer detailed his cure for some mental illness, originally called mesmerism and now known as hypnosis

Philippe Pinel released the first mental patients from confinement in the first massive movement for more humane treatment of the mentally ill

Franz Gall wrote about phrenology (the idea that a person’s skull shape and placement of bumps on the head can reveal personality traits

Ernst Heinrich Weber published his perception theory of ‘Just Noticeable DIfference,’ now known as Weber’s Law

Phineas Gage suffered brain damage when an iron pole pierces his brain. His personality was changed but his intellect remained intact suggesting that an area of the brain plays a role in personality