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387 BCE
Plato
Plato suggested that the brain is the mechanism of mental processes. -
335 BCE
Aristotle
Aristotle suggested that the heart is the mechanism of mental processes. -
Franz Mesmer
Franz Mesmer detailed his cure for some mental illness, originally called mesmerism and now known as hypnosis. -
Philippe Pinel
Philippe Pinel released the first mental patients from confinement in the first massive movement for more humane treatment of the mentally ill. -
Franz Gall
Franz Gall wrote about phrenology (the idea that a person’s skull shape and placement of bumps on the head can reveal personality traits. -
Ernst Heinrich Weber
Ernst Heinrich Weber published his perception theory of ‘Just Noticeable DIfference,’ now known as Weber’s Law. -
Phineas Gage
Phineas Gage suffered brain damage when an iron pole pierces his brain. His personality was changed but his intellect remained intact suggesting that an area of the brain plays a role in personality. -
Paul Broca
French physician Paul Broca discovered an area in the left frontal lobe that plays a key role in language development. -
Sir Francis Galton
Sir Francis Galton, Influenced by Charles Darwin’s ‘Origin of the Species,’ publishes ‘Hereditary Genius,’ and argues that intellectual abilities are biological in nature. -
Carl Wernicke
Carl Wernicke published his work on the frontal lobe, detailing that damage to a specific area damages the ability to understand or produce language -
G. Stanley Hall
G. Stanley Hall received the first American Ph.D. in psychology. He later founded the American Psychological Association. -
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt founded the first formal laboratory of Psychology at the University of Leipzig, marking the formal beginning of the study of human emotions, behaviors, and cognitions. -
The first laboratory of psychology in America
The first laboratory of psychology in America is established at Johns Hopkins University. -
Herman Ebbinghaus
Herman Ebbinghaus introduced the nonsense syllable as a means to study memory processes. -
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud began performing therapy in Vienna, marking the beginning of personality theory. -
term “Mental Tests”
The term “Mental Tests” was coined by James Cattell, beginning the specialization in psychology now known as psychological assessment. -
William James
William James published ‘Principles of Psychology,’ that later became the foundation for functionalism. -
the American Psychological Association
Foundation of the American Psychological Association (APA) headed by G. Stanley Hall, with an initial membership of 42. -
the first laboratory of psychodiagnosis
Alfred Binet founded the first laboratory of psychodiagnosis. -
John Dewey began
Writings by John Dewey began the school of thought known as functionalism. -
first psychological clinic
The first psychological clinic was developed at the University of Pennsylvania marking the birth of clinical psychology. -
Edward Thorndike
Edward Thorndike developed the ‘Law of Effect,’ arguing that “a stimulus-response chain is strengthened if the outcome of that chain is positive.” -
‘Interpretation of Dreams’
Sigmund Freud published ‘Interpretation of Dreams’ marking the beginning of Psychoanalytic Thought. -
The British Psychological Society
The British Psychological Society was founded. -
Alfred Binet’s test
Alfred Binet’s Intelligence Test was published in France. -
Ivan Pavlov
Ivan Pavlov published the first studies on Classical Conditioning. -
Edward Thorndike
Edward Thorndike published first article on animal intelligence leading to the theory of Operant Conditioning. -
formula for the Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
William Stern developed the original formula for the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) after studying the scores on Binet’s intelligence test. -
the perception of movement
Max Wertheimer published research on the perception of movement, marking the beginnings of Gestalt Psychology. -
John E. Watson
John E. Watson published ‘Psychology as a Behaviorist Views It’ marking the beginnings of Behavioral Psychology. -
Carl G. Jung
Carl G. Jung departed from Freudian views and developed his own theories citing Freud’s inability to acknowledge religion and spirituality. His new school of thought became known as Analytical Psychology. -
Stanford-Binet intelligence test
Stanford-Binet intelligence test was published in the United States. -
the Army Alpha and Beta Tests
Robert Yerkes developed the Army Alpha and Beta Tests to measure intelligence in a group format. The tests were adopted for use with all new recruits in the U.S. military a year later. -
the Little Albert experiments
John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner published the Little Albert experiments, demonstrating that fear could be classically conditioned. -
First psychological test development company
not only commercializing psychological testing, but allowing testing to take place at offices and clinics rather than only at universities and research facilities -
Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget published ‘The Moral Judgment of Children’ beginning his popularity as the leading theorist in cognitive development. -
Walter B. Cannon
Walter B. Cannon coined the term homeostasis and began research on the fight or flight phenomenon -
Thematic Apperception Test
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) was published by Henry Murray. -
Electroshock therapy
Electroshock therapy was first used on a human patient. -
Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Test
Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Test was published which eventually became the most widely used intellectual assessment. -
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was developed and fast became the most widely researched and widely accepted psychological assessment device. -
The Journal of Clinical Psychology
The Journal of Clinical Psychology was founded. -
Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson published ‘Childhood and Society,’ where he expands Freud’s Theory to include social aspects of personality development. -
The Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) was published by The American Psychiatric Association. -
B.F. Skinner
B.F. Skinner outlined behavioral therapy, lending support for behavioral psychology via research in the literature. -
Code of Ethics for Psychologists
Code of Ethics for Psychologists was developed by the American Psychological Association. -
Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow helped to found Humanistic Psychology and later developed his famous Hierarchy of Needs. -
First Psychologists prescribe medication
First Psychologists prescribe medication through the U.S. military’s psychopharmacology program. -
‘Cognitive Dissonance’
Leon Festinger proposed his theory of ‘Cognitive Dissonance’ and later became an influence figure in Social Psychology. -
Alfred Bandura
Alfred Bandura introduced the idea of Observational Learning on the development of personality. -
DSM II
DSM II was published by the American Psychiatric Association. -
First Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
First Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) professional degree program in Clinical Psychology was established in the Department of Psychology at The University of Illinois – Urbana/Champaign. -
the Psy.D. degree
APA endorsed the Psy.D. degree for professional practice in psychology -
DSM III
DSM III published by the American Psychiatric Association. -
theory of multiple intelligence
Howard Gardner (professor at Harvard University) introduced his theory of multiple intelligence, arguing that intelligence is something to be used to improve lives not to measure and quantify human beings. -
American Psychological Society established.
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DSM IV
DSM IV published by the American Psychiatric Association. -
technological age
Psychology advances to the technological age with the emergence of e-therapy. -
prescribe psychotropic medication
New Mexico becomes the first state to pass legislation allowing licensed psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medication. -
Simon Baron-Cohen's
'The Essential Difference: Men, Women and the Extreme Male Brain' proposes that autism may be an "extreme form of maleness". -
The DSM - 5 is published
