The Birth of Psychology. Was It Wundt?

This Week published an interesting article called ‘The Birth of Psychology’. The article describes Thomas Willis, a 17^th Century Oxford Professor, who published The Anatomy of the Brain in 1664, which helped to establish was it now termed ‘neurology’ and could be seen as the starting point of psychology.

Thereafter, William James published the Principles of Psychology in 1890; followed by Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams in 1899.

However, despite these historic landmarks, most A-Level Psychologists are probably familiar with Wundt, who was the founder of experimental psychology, setting up the first experimental lab at the University of Leipzig in 1876.

While Wundt maybe the founder of experimental psychology, let’s not forget the 17^th Century Oxford Professor Willis, who once said: ‘I addicted myself to the opening of Heads especially, and of every kind.’

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