When one
thinks of psychology the mind first goes to Sigmund Freud. Some consider Ivan Pavlov and his study on
condition reflex. Chapter one gives the
reader an introductory look at how women developed the psychology field. Mary Calkins was born in 1863 back then,
psychologists were men, and thus Mary was refused to be able to finish her
degree strictly because she was a woman (Bumb). A fellow psychologist named William James
allowed her to continue her desire to become a psychologist by administering
tests and take some of his graduate classes so she was better able to
understand her chosen field. One of her
most outstanding achievements, Mary was honored as the first woman president of
the American Psychological Association.
In 1906 she was listed as the twelfth leading psychologist in the United
States (APA , 2001). While psychology has seemed to come to the
forefront in recent years, truth is, attempts to understand the human mind and
its actions have been around since the early 1800’s. Since then, there have been major advances in
the field of psychology.
Brain and behavior connections became clearer during the
nineteenth century. Physicians chose to
notice their patient’s actions who suffered bad head injuries. Many showed lowered language and memory
retention as well as having traumatic changes in personality. Phineas Gage was a foreman in a rail
yard. He was accidentally injured during
an exposition. A tamping iron went
straight though his head. Observing his
actions and creating experiments, teach researchers and scientists (Westen, 2005).
Marc Dax reported in 1836, he diagnosed patients with
speech problems or loss of speech. When he examined their brains after their
deaths, he saw that all of these patients have damage to the left side of their
brain (Okrzesik, 2001). Based on all of the recent research, it is a
fact that the left side of the brain does in fact deal with speech. Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict were two
theorists who were inquisitive when it came to the relation between culture and
personality. Their expertise was not in
psychology but in anthropology (Flatherty). Their argument was that psychology was molded
by values, ideals and ways of thinking.
As children grow and learn in ways that conform to cultural
standards. Freud was very instramental
in understanding this through his works.
During the 1950’s a new push begain in behaviorism and psychoanalytic
theories. This type of movement took its
name from humanism. People’s emotions
and own free will are the key to this type research.
Mental
processes begain in the 1970’s. It is
called the cognitive throery. The key to
this movement is humans soak up information from their environment and process
the information mentally. Patients
begain wanting to understand what dreams meant why they would remember some and
not all, what the brain was doing during sleep.
Chapter three deals with the biological factors that interfear with the
brain.
When a patient suffers a taumatic brain injury such as
Larry Flynt, or James Brady effect how they think and act. Larry Flynt was shot
after an assaination attempt, and James Brady was the Press Secretary of
President Regan and took a bullet and to this day is partially paralized and is
left imoble for the duration of his life (Neurobehavioral Health, 2001). Stress is another factor that will affect how
one feels and thinks. A person suffering
from stress can have a nervous breakdown because of a trauma from their
past. It is key to our success as long
as we watch our stress levels, focus on the things that need to be
addressed. Stress can lead to heart
attacks and break ups in relationships if one does not seek medical attention
via family physician, or even beginning some kind of conseling.
In summary, from the beginning of the study of
psychology where women were not allowed to preform, to today where psychology
is wildly growing into the most needed medical profession; the big picture is
we as students will always be learning and growing. The study of psychology is an ever growing
educational profession. The career
playmakers such as Ivan Pavlov, Mary Calkins, and Sigmund Freud will forever
shape our profession and allow us to grow and be more educated.
APA . (2001). Monitor. Honored for their vision,
80.
Bumb, J. (n.d.). Women's Intellectual Contributions
to the Study of the Mind and Society. Retrieved December 13, 2010, from
Mary Whiton Calkins: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/calkins.html
Flatherty, T. (n.d.). Webster Edu. Retrieved
December 13, 2010, from Women's Intellectual Contributions to the Study of Mind
and Society: http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/margaretmead.html
Neurobehavioral Health. (2001). 10 Famous People
with Brain Impairments. Retrieved December 13, 2010, from Center for
Neurobehavioral Health, Ltd.:
http://www.neurohealth.org/articles/10famouspeople.htm
Okrzesik, E. H. (2001). How does the human brain
create language? . Retrieved December 13, 2010, from The Brain An Owner's
Manual: http://library.thinkquest.org/C0114820/logical/language.php3
Westen, R. M. (2005). PSYCHOLOGY: THE STUDY OF
MENTAL PROCESSES AND BEHAVIOR. Hobken: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
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