Exploring and understanding the brain and mind

How often do people question their minds- their thoughts, and how certain things
influence them? Why do we choose to do things that we know we’ll regret later on
but keep doing? How do we know how to feel and act around someone?

During the 11th century, the French philosopher Rene Descartes introduced the idea
of dualism, which asserted the mind and body were two entities that interact to form
the human experience. During the mid-1800s German Physiologist, Wilhelm Wundt
had been using scientific research methods to investigate reaction times. Opening the
World's first Psychology lab in 1879. This event is considered the official start of
psychology as a separate and distinct scientific discipline. In the 20th century, one of
Wundt’s famous students, Edward B.Titchener would go on to found psychology first
major: A school of thought where human consciousness could be broken down into
smaller parts using a process known as introspection. Though structuralism is notable
for its emphasis on scientific research, its methods were ‘unreliable’, when Titchener
died in 1927, structuralism faded alongside him. Psychology flourished in America
during the mid-to late-1800s. William James emerged as one of the major American
psychologists during this period, when his classic textbook, "The Principles of
Psychology," made him the father of American psychology. His book soon became the
standard text in psychology and his ideas eventually served as the basis for a new
school of thought known as functionalism. In the 20th century, another school of
thought known as behaviorism rose to dominance, it was a major change from
previous theoretical perspectives, rejecting the emphasis on the conscious and
unconscious mind. Instead, behaviorism strove to make psychology a more scientific
discipline by focusing purely on observable behavior. Behaviorism started with a
Russian physiologist named Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov's research on the dog's digestive
system led to his discovery of the classical conditioning process. John B. Watson, an
american psychologist soon became one of the strongest advocates of behaviorism.
Initially outlining the basic principles of this new school of thought in his 1913 paper
Psychology as the behaviorist views it, Watson later went on to define his classic book
"Behaviorism" (1924). Behaviorism claims that consciousness is neither a definite nor a
usable concept. The impact of behaviorism was enormous, and this school of thought
continued to dominate for the next 50 years. Burrhus Frederic Skinner furthered the
behaviorist perspective with his concept of operant conditioning which demonstrated
the effect of punishment and reinforcement on behavior. While behaviorism
eventually lost its dominant grip on psychology, the basic principles of behavioral
psychology are still widely in use today. "third force" in psychology, this theoretical
perspective emphasized conscious experiences. American psychologist Carl Rogers
was one of the founders of this school of thought. Rogers believed strongly in the
power of free will and self-determination.Psychologist Abraham Maslow also
contributed to humanistic psychology with his famous hierarchy needs theory of
human motivation.

In essence, human psychology is a field that explores the human mind, behavior, and
emotions. It encompasses a vast array of theories, methodologies, and applications
that contribute to our understanding of what it means to be a human. The brain is said
to be the most complex organ in the human body, it’s the source of all the qualities
that define our humanity.