Founders of Psychology – Behind the Scenes of the Mind

I. INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY? Psychology is the science that studies the behavior, emotions, and thinking patterns of humans and animals, as well as the underlying causes. Over time, this field separated from philosophy and formed as an independent scientific discipline, developing through various theoretical schools. Many great figures — the "founders of psychology" — played an invaluable role in this development.

In this article, we will provide detailed information about the pioneers who laid the foundations of psychology, moved it from philosophical speculation to scientific methodology, and developed it in different directions.

II. HISTORICAL ROOTS OF PSYCHOLOGY

1. Ancient Greece: Philosophical Foundations Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle discussed the essence of the soul, the functioning of the mind, and the concept of moral psychology. Plato divided the soul into three parts: rational, will, and desires. Aristotle tried to explain sensation, memory, and cognition as a system.

2. Psychological Ideas in the Islamic World Philosophers like Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Al-Farabi wrote works on the structure of the soul and human behavior. Ibn Sina, in particular, made notes on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems.

III. FORMATION OF PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE

1. WILHELM WUNDT – FATHER OF SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGY Established the first psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879. Separated psychology from philosophy and applied experimental methods. Focused on the introspection method: observing one’s own thoughts and emotions.

2. WILLIAM JAMES – FOUNDER OF FUNCTIONALISM Created a turning point in psychology with his work “The Principles of Psychology” (1890). Studied the functions of the mind — how an individual adapts to the environment. Associated with the philosophy of pragmatism.

IV. GREAT PSYCHOANALYSTS: JOURNEY INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE MIND

1. SIGMUND FREUD – FOUNDER OF PSYCHOANALYSIS Introduced the concepts of the unconscious, id, ego, and superego. Developed the theory of psychosexual development with concepts like the Oedipus complex, sublimation, and defense mechanisms. Despite criticism, he laid the foundations of psychotherapy.

2. CARL JUNG – CREATOR OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY Introduced the ideas of the collective unconscious and archetypes. Studied aspects of personality: persona, shadow, anima, animus. Provided psychological interpretations of religion and mythology.

3. ALFRED ADLER – FOUNDER OF INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOLOGY Explained behavior through social adaptation and the inferiority complex. Proposed the concept of “striving for superiority.”

V. BEHAVIORISTS – THE SCIENCE OF THE OBSERVABLE

1. JOHN B. WATSON – FATHER OF BEHAVIORISM Proposed that psychology should be limited to observable behavior. Famous for the claim: “I can turn any child into any type of person.”

2. B. F. SKINNER – PROPONENT OF OPERANT CONDITIONING Through his “Skinner box” experiments, demonstrated that behavior depends on consequences. Emphasized the influence of reward and punishment.

VI. FOUNDERS OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY

1. CARL ROGERS – “SELF” THEORY AND EMPATHY Created client-centered therapy. Based on personal development, empathetic listening, and self-congruence.

2. ABRAHAM MASLOW – HIERARCHY OF NEEDS Explained human motivation through a hierarchy of needs. At the highest level is “self-actualization.”

VII. COGNITIVE REVOLUTION – SHIFT TO MENTAL MECHANISMS

1. JEAN PIAGET – COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT THEORY Developed a stage-based model of children’s cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete, formal stages. Proved that learning occurs in stages.

2. AARON BECK – FOUNDER OF COGNITIVE THERAPY Linked depression with negative thinking patterns. Laid the foundations of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

3. ALBERT ELLIS – RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY Emotions are caused by thoughts — faulty beliefs can be corrected. ABC model: A – event, B – belief, C – consequence.

VIII. LEADERS OF MODERN PSYCHOLOGY

1. MARTIN SELIGMAN – FOUNDER OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Focused on human well-being, joy, inner strength, and the search for meaning. PERMA model: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment.

2. DANIEL KAHNEMAN – COGNITIVE DECISIONS AND PSYCHOLOGY Nobel laureate. Demonstrated how people make irrational decisions. “Thinking, Fast and Slow” — the theory of two thinking systems: fast (emotional) and slow (analytical).

IX. WOMEN PIONEERS: INVISIBLE TRACES

1. MARY WHITON CALKINS Studied at Harvard but did not receive a diploma due to her gender. First female APA president.

2. MARGARET FLOY WASHBURN First woman with a PhD in psychology. Conducted significant experiments in behaviorism.

3. ANNA FREUD Freud’s daughter. Key figure in child psychoanalysis.

X. WHAT HAS PSYCHOLOGY BECOME? – MODERN DIRECTIONS Neuropsychology Social psychology Applied psychology Sports, legal, occupational, and educational psychology Research at the intersection of artificial intelligence and psychology

XI. CONCLUSION: A SCIENCE WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF FOUNDERS Every figure mentioned in the development of psychology has illuminated a direction and opened new doors. Thanks to their various theoretical and experimental approaches, psychology has become a widely applied scientific and practical discipline. Today, thousands of studies are conducted on the foundations they laid, and millions of people are helped.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? In which area does psychology most influence human life? How relevant do you find Freud’s theories today? Which psychologist’s views do you relate to most? Why? Will the future of psychology evolve more through neurobiology or artificial intelligence?

Share your thoughts in the comments!