-
John Locke introduced the concept of "tabula rasa", the belief that the mind is like a "scraped tablet" at birth that's formed and develop from our own experiences/environment.
-
Franz Mesmer detailed his cure for some mental illness, originally called mesmerism, but now widely known as hypnosis.
-
Philippe Pinel released the first mental patients from confinement in the first large-scale movement for more considerable treatments involving those with mental illnesses.
-
Franz Gall wrote about phrenology, or the idea that the shape of a person's skull and the placement of the bumps on their head can reveal their personality traits.
-
Phineas Gage suffered brain damage when an iron pole pierced his brain. His personality changed but his intellect remained intact. This suggested that a part of the brain plays a part with a person's personality.
-
French physician Paul Broca discovered an area in the left frontal lobe that plays a key role in language development.
-
Wilhelm Wundt opened first experimental laboratory in psychology at the University of Leipzig, Germany.
-
William James published "Principles of Psychology". This later became the foundation for functionalism.
-
The first psychological clinic was developed at the University of Pennsylvania. This marked the birth of clinical psychology.
-
John E. Watson published "Psychology as a Behaviorist Views It" introducing the concept of Behavioral Psychology.
-
Electroshock therapy was first used on a human patient
-
The state of Connecticut passed licensure legislation for psychologists, becoming the first state to recognize psychology as a protected practice oriented profession.
-
Erik Erikson published ‘Childhood and Society,’ expanding Freud’s Theory by including social aspects of personality development across a lifespan.
-
Leon Festinger proposed his theory of "Cognitive Dissonance" and later became an influencial figure in Social Psychology.
-
First Doctor of Psychology professional degree program in Clinical Psychology was established in the University of Illinois
-
Nothing else to really explain here...
-
American Psychiatric Association published DSM III
-
First Psychologists prescribe medication through the U.S. military’s psychopharmacology program.
-
New Mexico becomes the first state to pass legislation allowing licensed psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medication.
-
President Barack Obama presented the BRAIN Initiative to map out the activity of every neuron in the human brain.
