Psy-101 Written Assignment One

Psychology is defined as the scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes. As with any field of study, results or conclusions must be drawn using measurable or empirical means. Commonly known as the scientific method, Roger Bacon is credited with being the creator of the modern scientific method in the 13th century and its basic principles are still applicable. This holds true in psychology, as conclusions made with no evidence to back them can not be considered legitimate. The study of behavior is simply the way an organism adjusts to their environment. Everything from emotional responses to actions taken, as long as they can be measured empirically. A singular person or animal is the basis for study in Psychology. While often results of studies can be applied on a broader spectrum, the study of psychology is focused on one persons responses. Mental Processes are how the mind works and is the most compelling and difficult to understand.

Throughout history Psychologists have come up with many techniques to understand and explain the mental processes through with an individual goes when responding to behavior changes. In the 17th and 18th centuries psychologists such as John Locke and Immanuel Kant were proposing the basic ideas of nature vs. nurture. In the late 19th century psychologists began to take a more scientific stance in regards to the field of psychology. Wilhelm Wundt the "father of experimental psychology" was the first person to use the term psychologist and in 1879 in Germany founded the the first formal laboratory for experimental psychology. Hermann Ebbinghaus was one of the first experimental psychologists with his work coming between 1880 and 1909 when he died. He focused on memory and is known for spacing effect and the forgetting curve. The study of experimental psychology was growing and other psychologists following Wundt's model for a laboratory, began establishing their own. Edward Titchener...