Cognitive Psychology as a Discipline

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Let's take a closer look at the two interesting questions - the emergence and milestones in the emergence of the discipline of Psychology, as well as the importance of behavioral observation in Cognitive Psychology from various sources to consider for your final copy.

1. Four key milestones in the development of psychology as a discipline

Psychology emerged as a separate discipline in Germany in the late 1800s out of the disciplines of philosophy and philosophy, which was studying questions about the mind. Its earliest history can be traced back to the time of the early Greeks and, during the 17th-century, the French philosopher Rene Descartes introduced the idea of dualism, which asserted that the mind and body were two separate entities that interact to form the human experience. (1) Physiology also contributed to the psychology as a scientific discipline. For example, early physiology research on brain and behavior had a dramatic impact on psychology, ultimately contributing to the application of scientific methodologies to the study of human thought and behavior (Wagner, n.d.). (1)

Emergence of the First Psychology Lab (1879)

Transforming from philosophy to psychology was a major milestone with the first psychology lab in 1879 at the University of Leipzig opened by Wilhelm Wundt, a German physiologist. This is generally considered the official start of psychology as a separate and distinct scientific discipline. Wundt perceived the subject as the study of human consciousness and sought to apply experimental methods to studying internal mental processes. While his use of a process known as introspection is seen as unreliable and unscientific today, his early work in psychology helped set the stage for future experimental methods. While his influence dwindled in the years to come, his impact on psychology is unquestionable (Wagner, n.d.). (1)

Emergence of Different Schools of Thought

Structuralism and Functionalism

Next, different schools of thought began to emerge, with Structuralism being the first with Edward B. Titchener, one of Wundt's students, as the main proponent. For structuralists, human consciousness could be broken down into much smaller parts using a process known as introspection, trained subjects would attempt to break down their responses and reactions to the most basic sensation and perceptions. While structuralism is notable for its emphasis on scientific research, its methods were unreliable, limiting, and subjective. When Titchener died in 1927, structuralism gave rise to functionalist. The main functionalist was William ...