A Brief History of Modern Psychology

by Ludy T. Benjamin Jr.

A Brief History of Modern Psychology offers a concise account of the evolution of this dynamic field--from early pioneers of psychological theory to cutting-edge contemporary applications. In this revised third edition, leading scholar Ludy Benjamin surveys the significant figures, concepts, and schools of thought that have shaped modern psychology. Engaging and accessible narrative provides readers historical and disciplinary context to modern psychology and encourages further investigation of the topics and individuals presented. This book provides a solid foundational knowledge of psychology’s past, covering essential areas including prescientific psychology, physiology and psychophysics, early schools of German and American psychology, and the origins of applied psychology, behaviorism, and psychoanalysis. Exploration of 20th century and contemporary developments, including the emergence of clinical and cognitive psychology, ensures a complete overview of the field.

The author integrates biographical information on widely recognized innovators such as Carl Jung, Wilhelm Wundt, and B.F. Skinner with lesser known figures including E.B. Titchener, Mary Calkins, and Leta Hollingworth. This personalistic approach to history allows readers to understand the theories, research, and practices of the individuals who laid the foundation to modern psychology.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, School, Education, History

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2018

About the author

Ludy Benjamin, Jr. is Professor of Psychology and Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University and holder of a Presidential Professorship in Teaching Excellence. He received his PhD in experimental psychology from Texas Christian University in 1971, specializing in perception. From 1970 to 1978 he was a member of the faculty at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Following a two-year appointment in Washington, DC as Director of the Office of Educational Affairs for the American Psychological Association (APA), Benjamin joined the faculty at Texas A&M University in 1980. His research specialty is the history of psychology where he has focused on the development of the early American psychology laboratories and organizations, on the origins of applied psychology (especially clinical psychology and industrial-organizational psychology), and on the popularization of psychology, including a concern with the evolution of psychology's public image. Benjamin is a past president of two of the divisions of the APA: the Division on the History of Psychology and the Division on the Teaching of Psychology and is also past president of the Eastern Psychological Association. He is the author or editor of 20 books and more than 130 articles, chapters, and reviews in psychology. He lives in College Station, TX with his wife Priscilla Benjamin, a librarian (ret.).

Reviews

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

An imperfect, but nonetheless interesting whistle-stop tour of 'modern' psychology.

One major problem that other reviewers have pointed out is that Benjamin totally ignores anybody outside of Europe and the Anglosphere, so this is a 'Western' history of psychology. Also, Benjamin appears a little uncritical of certain perverse aspects of psychology (race science, corporate psychology, sex difference psychology etc). These for him are not evidence of the dangers of psychology and it's contamination by the state, bad actors or the ruling class, but mere historical incidents, reported neutrally.

However, for a quick bite-size summary of psychology for an undergraduate who hasn't heard of Emil Kraeplin, Wilhelm Wundt or Otto Klineberg, it's a useful volume to get started. Perhaps follow this up with Fancher's 'Pioneers of Psychology', as it is a much cheaper volume, more readily available, and that particular volume appears to have influenced most of what Benjamin writes in this text.

[Charlotte Kersten]

I would die for Leta Hollingworth

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice introduction to the development of psychology. It is reasonably short and quite accessible. It is heavy on the science side and weak on the clinical side, plus it ignores non-Western cultures altogether. It really should be called A Brief History of Western Psychology...which would have been more honest. That being said, it does provide a good survey of the field and introduces most of the central characters.

[Hannah Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for a History & Systems course.
Certainly fast and brief. But I felt frustrated that the author attended to the cultural and sociopolitical zeitgeist in Europe more often than the United States.

[Gerald Jerome · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good introduction to the history packed into such a light read.

[Castles · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utterly boring, I had to brief quickly through it once I understood this book doesn't answer my expectations.

I expected much more about Freud and psychoanalysis, yet the author put him only in a little chapter in the middle of the book, as if Freud is a footnote between American behaviorists.
The book is very, if not mostly, American oriented. Maybe the fault is mine since I expected this book to teach me more about Freud, but instead I got a lesson on American universities and their history with psychology from the times of charlatans, through the times of psychology for advertising, until finally behaviorists and cognitivism. This book might as well be called "The History of Psychology in America".

The author tried to open each chapter in a light note, which is usually pretty cute for books about complicated issued, but it's quickly turning into dry history and information which doesn't stick too much. As if the book doesn't know what it wants to be, a serious study or popular science.

[Maisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars *for a text book*
Easy, interesting, informative, and insightful read.

Also Karen Horney is my hero.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a required textbook it was actually not boring.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as books for classes go, this was a great one. Easy to read, well formatted, and interesting all in one book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in clinical or counseling psychology who is interested in learning more.

[Dennis Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading in a graduate-level class covering the History of Psychology at San Diego State University. Excellent overview course. Well taught.