Definition of psychology

The word "psychology" originated in the late 19th century, coined by German philosopher and psychologist Wilhelm Wundt. The term is derived from two Greek words, "psyche" meaning "mind or soul," and "logos" meaning "study or knowledge." In Ancient Greece, the study of the human mind and behavior was largely philosophical, with philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle exploring the nature of the self and consciousness. However, it wasn't until the modern era that psychology emerged as a scientific discipline. In the early 1800s, researchers such as Philippe Pinel and Jean-Martin Charcot began to study the workings of the human mind in a more empirical and systematic way. This marked the beginnings of what would become modern psychology. Wundt officially introduced the term "psychology" in his seminal work "Principles of Physiological Psychology" published in 1879. He defined psychology as "the scientific study of mental life and phenomena, both internal and external" (Crosby et al., 1959). Wundt's vision of psychology as a holistic discipline that explored the relationship between mental and physical phenomena quickly gained traction. The term "psychology" soon became widely adopted, and Wundt's "structuralist" approach to psychology, which sought to understand the structure of the human mind, set the stage for later psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. In conclusion, the term "psychology" derives from two Greek words, "psyche" and "logos," meaning "mind or soul" and "study or knowledge," respectively. The term was popularized by Wilhelm Wundt, who defined psychology as the scientific study of mental life and phenomena in his seminal work, published in 1879. The term quickly gained traction, and Wundt's approach to psychology, which sought to understand the structure of the human mind, set the stage for later psychologists such as Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. References: Crosby, A. D., Murchison, G., & Morris, P. (1959). A history of psychology (