1.1: Introduction

Psychology is a relatively young science with its experimental roots in the nineteenth century, compared, for example, to human physiology, which dates much earlier. Anyone interested in exploring issues related to the mind generally did so in a philosophical context prior to the nineteenth century. Two men, working in the nineteenth century, are generally credited as being the founders of psychology as a science and academic discipline that was distinct from philosophy. Their names were Wilhelm Wundt and William James. This section will provide an overview of the shifts in paradigms that have influenced psychology from Wundt and James through today.

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