Give a historical account of the emergence of Psychology as a science.

1.	Give a historical account of the emergence of Psychology as a science.
Answer» Psychology is a vast field studying behavioural aspects of mankind and it started as a branch of Philosophy. It evolved as a separate branch in the 19th century. The first attempt to define Psychology was made based on the terminology. The word ‘Psychology’ is derived from two Greek words: ‘Psyche’ (soul or mind) and ‘Logos’ (science or branch of knowledge). Rational sciences establish facts based on observation and experimentation. However, neither soul nor mind can be observed. Hence, the definition of Psychology changed over time. In the late 19th century, Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychological laboratory at Leipzig University. He defined Psychology as the study of consciousness. Sigmund Freud defined Psychology as the study of the unconscious while John Watson defined it as ‘Science of human behaviour’. The latest definition of Psychology is the ‘Study of human behaviour and processes.’ Psychology as a discipline evolved over time.

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