Contemporary psychology deals with a vast range of topics; while at the same time looks into human behavioral patterns and mental processes from the cultural level to the neural level. Psychologists study all matters pertaining to human mental issues that begin right from birth and continue up until the death of the person. So, by gaining full understanding of the history of psychology, you will be able to better understand how the individual topics are studied and what has been learnt so far.
Questions put forward during the Formation of Psychology
Right from the very beginning, the study of psychology has been faced with a number of difficult questions. The first question of how is psychology defined established it as a separate science, separate from philosophy and physiology. Other additional questions that psychologists were also faced with throughout the history of the subject were:
- What issues and topics should the subject of psychology deal with?
- What methods of research should be used when studying psychology?
- Should research be used in order to influence education, public policy and other aspects of human behavior?
- Is psychology a science?
- Should psychology focus on internal mental processes or on observable behaviors?