Psychology

Psychology

Introduction

Psychology is the discipline that studies mental processes, including internal cognitive processes of individuals and social-cognitive processes. The discipline embraces all the complex aspects of human psychological functioning. Different schools, theories and psychological systems have focused their efforts in various areas, existing from approaches that focus exclusively on observable behavior. The scope of the theories covered areas or fields from the study of child development psychology to how humans feel, perceive or think, how they learn to adapt to their environment and resolve conflicts.

This assignment aims to discuss the historical, philosophical and empirical foundations of psychology, with the discussion on its key tenets. We aim to shed light on the contributions of these theories to the contemporary issues in psychology, realizing its assumptions and principles. There will be four theories discussed in a holistic manner including Theory of Gestalt psychology, Theory of Behaviorism, Theory of Psychoanalysis, and the Humanistic Theory. The paper also looks into the issues of relevance relating diversity to the history of psychology. In the end, we will discuss the effect of humanistic theories to our chosen academic, career paths and goals.

Historical, Philosophical, and Empirical Foundations of the Field Of Psychology

In the 19th Century, the prevailing empiricism in epistemology began to replace psychology as a separate science from philosophy. Empiricism under observation is the only source of scientific knowledge was regarded; the experimental science (natural science) became the ideal of knowledge- absolute properties (Yaroshevsky, 1990). The term “empirical psychology” was coined by the German philosopher of the 18th century Wolff, who designated disciplines, in contrast to the rational psychology, which was engaged in an eternal, immortal soul. The empirical psychology of consciousness has been developed in the writings of the French materialists of the Enlightenment and Zh. Lametri, K. Gelvetsiya, E. Kondilyaka. Representatives of the French empirical psychology more attention than English assotsianisty, turned on the activity of the subject in the perception of the world, considering the mentality of a common position.

In the 19th century, strong influence on the subsequent development of psychological studies has ideas and discoveries in anatomy and physiology of brain activity, and above all - the study of reflexes. In the works of Czech G. Prohazki, an Englishman and Frenchman Ch.Bella F.Mazhandi reflex mechanisms have been studied in human life, marked motor and sensory parts of the nervous system. Physiological and psychophysical studies G. Gelmgoltsa, F. Dondersa, E. Vebera, and G. Fehnera helped shape ideas about the laws and factors of mental life than both the physiological and the philosophical (Woldt, Toman, 2005). This paved the way for the separation of psychology from physiology and philosophy of it as an independent scientific discipline.

Foundational Philosophical Assumptions and Principles

Theory of Gestalt psychology

Gestalt psychology is based on the principle that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." This statement became the trademark of Gestalt psychology, the key concepts in terms of learning insight, perception and problem solving were. A prerequisite for solving the problem in terms of Gestalt psychology ...