..And here is a very short, very simple, very uninformative introductory paragraph to the field of Psychology that I put together way too long ago...

Originators.

Psychology derived from philosophy. Greeks, the Renaissance, the Middle Ages, Charles Darwin, and other philosophers(i.e., Descartes) played important roles in the establishment of psychology. However, psychology was not formally established until 1879, by Wilhelm Wundt VUNT), the "father of Pychology."

Wundt developed the first laboratory for studying actual humans. He also created the method of introspection: "the process of looking into yourself and describing what is there."

Psychological Approaches.

There are several ways to approach psychology. These approaches are theories, since psychology is a science that is based on behavior. Things can't be proven, because there is never any circumstantial evidence, only statistics, studies, and researches to make theories.

The neurobiological approach is simply biological. Neurobiologists believe that actions and reactions caused are from nerve cells. Neurobiologists study the physical features of the human body instead of the mind. They focus on perspiration such as tears, sweat, and physical movement in reaction to something else (i.e., the sudden standing up of hair when in fright).

The psychoanalytic approach was originated by Sigmund Freud (FROID). Psychoanalysis states that sexual fantasies lies beneath consciousness in all humans. Freud introduced the three states of consciousness: id (the unconscious, where all the sexual and violent fantasies lie), the ego (the conscience, the "self"), and the superego (a part of the unconscious that is synonymous with the conscience.). Psychoanalysts believe that the human had a biological need for release that was caused by a psychological disturbance. This need for release is called, "libido (LABEEDOH)." These states of consciousness, and libido work together and result in the outcome of emotions and feelings projected by the person. A lot of times, it is the compromising between these four things that a person becomes confused, frustrated, enraged, and forgetful.

The behavioral approach is a little different. It believes that people's actions are results of earlier associations. This approach believes that the childhood is the most critical point in one's life, and that it ultimately decides one's fate. In other words, the stimuli that triggers subtle and abrupt urges is something that was set years before the action. B.F. Skinner is the most famous known behaviorist. He believed that environment was the most important factor and that it would determine the events of the future. In hope to conduct a research, Skinner raised his daughter in a human bubble, away from society.

The humanistic approach has the theory that people are naturally good, and that to succeed, people need a little guidance to strive to excellence. The most well-known humanist is Carl Rogers, who was a minister before he became a psychologist, which may have had an influence on how he thought about humans being wonderful creatures, blessed with potential and life.

The cognitive approach, which appears to be a more modern theory, believes that humans go through mental processes to resolute problems and to develop behavior. Emotion plays a disturbingly low role in this theory, which is the only thing that seems to detract the followers.

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