Introduction and History of Psychology

What the resources cover

This unit looks at where psychology came from and how it became a science. The mind map THE EVOLUTION OF PSYCHOLOGY opens with psychology's intellectual parents, philosophy and physiology. The map on origins of psychology - Wilhelm Wundt follows the belief that the human mind could be studied scientifically, and Wundt as the first person to call himself a psychologist.

Other maps cover structuralism, Gestalt psychology, Sigmund Freud, Hermann Ebbinghaus, Jean Piaget, The Humanists Revolt and Contemporary Approaches. Several maps share the title The Evolution of Psychology, each made by a different user, so you can compare how they organise the same ground.

Where to start

Begin with Psychology's Four Big Ideas and Is Psychology A Science? for the basics. Then open the flashcards on the scientific attitude, critical thinking and developing arguments, which cover curiosity and scepticism. After that, move to the Wundt and structuralism maps, then the later schools.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read a map to see how the ideas connect.
2. Take a quiz such as Psy 101-Chapter 1 or History of Psychology - Introduction.
3. Note the questions you miss and go back to the matching map branch.
4. Retry the quiz later.

The quiz Psychology Edexcel AS level adds research methods, such as sampling and hypotheses. A-level Psychology Key Terms & Definitions is a deck for building vocabulary. There are also AP Psychology and MCAT items for those exam routes.

Where this unit fits

This unit sits in the Foundations of Psychology strand of the Psychology subject. It gives the background that later topics build on, so it works well as a first stop or a refresher.

Choose one resource that suits your course and give it a go, then add your own maps and flashcards where the community material leaves gaps.