1. Psychology
Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that
involves the scientific study of mental
functions and behaviors. Psychology has the immediate
goal of understanding individuals and groups by both
establishing general principles and researching specific
cases, and by many accounts it ultimately aims to
benefit society. In this field, a professional practitioner
or researcher is called a psychologist and can be
classified as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist.

2. History
• The study of psychology in a philosophical context
dates back to the ancient civilizations of
Egypt, Greece, China, India, and Persia. Historians
point to the writings of ancient Greek philosophers,
such as Thales, Plato, and Aristotle (especially in
his De Anima treatise), as the first significant body of
work in the West to be rich in psychological thought.
As early as the 4th century BC, Greek
physician Hippocrates theorized that mental
disorders were of a physical, rather than divine,
nature

3. Functionalism
• Functionalism formed as a reaction to the theories of the
structuralist school of thought and was heavily
influenced by the work of the American philosopher,
scientist, and psychologist William James. James felt that
psychology should have practical value, and that
psychologists should find out how the mind can function
to a person's benefit. In his book, Principles of
Psychology, published in 1890, he laid the foundations
for many of the questions that psychologists would
explore for years to come. Other major functionalist
thinkers included John Dewey and Harvey Carr.