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Psychology originated when someone with philosophical and biological questions desired a more applicable answer to humans. Philosophy can debate about the existence of truth and freedom as biology answers more pragmatic questions about everything from skin to mitochondria. But what about ourselves? Emotions, passions, personality's have no place in a biology lab and less in a abstract philosophical debate, thus psychology came about.
Psychology is the meshing of big questions and applicable answers made to be applicable to our everyday lives. The word is rooted in greek (psyche-soul, ology-study) terminology but the clinical beginning of psychology is due to Wilhelm Wundt whom in 1879 began studies involving humans in a lab setting to have a more documented observation of people. With his strong physiological background and philosophical drive for answers he began studying human behavior in labs which has led the field to where it is today.
Famous Freud came about ten years later and began studying what we now call the unconscious. Determining that there are desires(often sexual for Freud but he studied many more) which seem innate Freud theorized a system to describe our deep seated passions which are unexplainable by our conscious self. The Id is our deepest most fundamental 'pleasure drives.' The Id is suppressed by our Ego or sense of morals and decency. The Superego is our ideals which we strive to bring ourself closer two, any malfunction of a relationship between any of these would cause psychological disarray.
The behaviorists came next, they believed that through physical training one can behave in any way desired. Derived from Pavlov's dogs, Skinner devised a series of tests and theory's to train people's behavior. Yet as the weaknesses of his behavior's became apparent the cognitive theorists came about and still rein today. By studying how information is processes with the latest technology cognitive thought is the most current field today.
Thus Psychology began with big questions attempting to be answered through scientific certainty and has continued since.
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