Psychology: The Science of Behaviour

Abstract

The science of psychology is rooted in philosophy, biology, education, and medicine. Philosophers developed the principles of materialism and empiricism, which made it possible to conceive of studying the human mind and, eventually, behaviour. Biologists developed experimental methods that enabled us to study the brain and discover its role in the control of behaviour. Improvements in education and medicine became public policy goals of governments during the 1800s. Educators devised methods of instruction based on principles of human development, while many medical doctors stressed the role of environmental factors in the treatment of psychological disorders.