HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY

History

Social psychology is only a bit older than 100 years, with most of the growth occurring during the past 6 decades. In discussing the discipline's history, it should be noted that there are two social psychologies, one in psychology and the other in sociology, with the larger of the two being the psychological branch. The central focus of psychological social psychology is how the individual responds to social stimuli, whereas sociological social psychology focuses on larger group or societal variables, such as people's socioeconomic status, their social roles, and cultural norms. Although there have been calls to merge the two branches into a single field—and even a joint psychology-sociology doctoral program at the University of Michigan from 1946 to 1967—their different orientations make it doubtful that this will transpire in the foreseeable future. In this historical overview, the psychological branch of the discipline will be highlighted.

To understand the role of psychologists within prisons, it is useful to first consider psychology and its historical development more generally. Psychology has its roots in two disciplines—physiology and philosophy, in which the former led to psychologists' interest in the brain and nervous system, while the latter inspired their concern with human thinking, emotion, and behaviour. Psychology is said to have emerged as a separate discipline in 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt, who trained in philosophy and medicine, opened the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig, Germany. Here, Wundt set out to investigate the mind through the application of scientific methods using a process termed “introspection.” This involved the careful training of researchers who then analyzed their own thinking (sensations, images, and emotional reactions) under laboratory conditions. (Allport, 77)

Prisons and jails are among the largest employers of psychologists in the United States. Psychologists working in prisons and other correctional institutions are sometimes referred to as “correctional” or “forensic” psychologists. These psychologists are involved in classifying, profiling, assessing, managing, and treating prisoners. They also provide institutional reports and carry out research and evaluation. Some prison psychologists deliver consultative services, such as counselling and personnel interviews, to other staff; others offer advice during hostage negotiations or other crises. Correctional psychologists typically qualify as clinical psychologists first, and then specialize in forensic-related work. Many of them belong to professional organizations and governing bodies such as the American Psychological Association, the American Psychology-Law Society, the American Association for Correctional Psychology, the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and the American Board of Forensic Psychology.

Wilhelm Wundt's Contribution towards Psychology

Following graduation from medical school at the top of his class in 1855, Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) worked as a research assistant, first for Johannes Müller and then Hermann Helmholtz. He was well versed in the physiology and psychophysics of the 19th century and was particularly influenced by Fechner's 1860 book, Elements of Psychophysics. Wundt's vision for a scientific psychology gestated for nearly 20 years. In 1874 he published the first textbook of the scientific work relevant to psychology, Principles of Physiological Psychology. In that book he left no doubt about his intent: “The book ...