Introduction to Psychology

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TOPIC:
Timeline
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Submitted to:
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Submitted by: Priyanshi Prajapati
psycholo
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EMERGENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY AS AN INDEPENDENT FIELD IN

INDIA

What is Psychology?
Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behavior. It involves the
understanding of mental processes and brain functions.

Development of Psychology in India

In ancient/medieval India, the science of psychology was not an independent field. The
extensive literature of the Upanishads, the Vedas, the epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana, etc.,
comprised the ‘first great psychological system’. ‘Psychology in Indian Tradition’ states that
the study of the jiva(individual) constituting the body, mind, and consciousness falls within
the purview of Indian Psychology.

In India, Psychology was first introduced at the University of Calcutta, where Dr. Brajendra
Nath Seal extracted the first syllabus for Experimental Psychology in 1905.
The first head of the Department of experimental psychology was Dr. Narendra Nath Sen.

Figure 1. Dr. Brajendra Figure 2. Dr. Narendra Nath Sen

Nath Seal

In 1922, Girindra Shekhar Bose founded the ‘Indian Psychoanalytic Society’.

He also commenced the journal ‘Samiksha’

Figure 3. Indian Psycho-analytical Society

 Role of Modern Psychology in India Psychology plays a crucial role in elevating mental he
lth awareness and providing treatment in modern India. Psychology offers vast domains
like clinical psychology, counseling psychology, educational psychology, organization
al psychology, behavioral psychology, cognitive psychology, and many more. Today, psycho
logists contribute to work in various settings like hospitals, schools, and community cente
rs, offering therapy, counseling, and support to individua

experiencing mental health issues. Fundamentally, psychology helps a wide range

of people by helping them in decision-making, time management, stress management, and be
havior based on professional insights on the understanding of past behav

r and prediction of future beha vior.P

ychology in the next 10 years (India)There is no detouring around the fact that psychology is
one of the most significant fields of our time. There was a time when psychology was c
ompletely notional but after years of studies philosophical evaluations, experiments, and re
evaluation, psychology is now a field that is both scientific and intuitive. Earlier, psycholog
y was more academia-oriented but with the help of experiments and

search, psychology is now conducive.A psychologist examines the functioning of the bra
in and the linked human behavior. The procedure of healing is not rapid but gradual. Projec
ted to grow at the rate of 14 percent annually, psychology is a field that will always
show tremendous growth as it helps to understand the cause of problems that people

References:
Singh, A.K. (1991). The Comprehensive Study of Psychology. Motilal Banarsidass
Publication.
Misra, G., Varma, C.R.M. (2010). Foundation of Indian Psychology, Volume 1: Theories and
Concepts.