Psychology Timeline

By cpnspooks
  • 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.

  • Weber's Law

    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.

  • First Laboratory of Psychology

    The first laboratory of psychology in America is established at Johns Hopkins University.

  • Nonsense Syllable

    Herman Ebbinghaus introduced the nonsense syllable as a means to study memory processes.

  • Sigmund Freud Therapy

    Sigmund Freud began performing therapy in Vienna, marking the beginning of personality theory.

  • Functionalism

    William James published ‘Principles of Psychology,’ that later became the foundation for functionalism.

  • Intelligence Studies

    Sir Francis Galton developed the technique known as the correlation to better understand the interrelationships in his intelligence studies.

  • First Laboratory of Psychodiagnosis

    Alfred Binet founded the first laboratory of psychodiagnosis.

  • Clinical Psychology

    The first psychological clinic was developed at the University of Pennsylvania marking the birth of clinical psychology.

  • Law of Effect

    Edward Thorndike developed the ‘Law of Effect,’ arguing that “a stimulus-response chain is strengthened if the outcome of that chain is positive.”

  • Ivan Pavlov

    Ivan Pavlov published the first studies on Classical Conditioning.

  • Abnormal Psychology

    The Journal of Abnormal Psychology was founded by Morton Prince.

  • Gestalt Psychology

    Max Wertheimer published research on the perception of movement, marking the beginnings of Gestalt Psychology.

  • Behavioral Psychology

    John E. Watson published ‘Psychology as a Behaviorist Views It’ marking the beginnings of Behavioral Psychology.

  • Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test

    Stanford-Binet intelligence test was published in the United States.

  • Clinical Psychology

    The Journal of Clinical Psychology was founded

  • Code of Ethics

    Code of Ethics for Psychologists was developed by the American Psychological Association.

  • Guam Gains Privileges

    Psychologists in Guam gain prescription privileges for psychotropic medication.

  • Mental Health Parity gets Attention

    The push for mental health parity gets the attention of the White House as President George W. Bush promotes legislation that would guarantee comprehensive mental health coverage.