1. Psychology: A Brief History Psychology can be defined as the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes and the factors influencing these processes. This study has bridged all modern civilization.

2. Ancient Greeks  Believed that personality was created from combinations of different bodily fluids (or “humours”): blood, phlegm (apathy), choler (anger), and melancholy (sadness). Hippocrates (460 – 377 BCE)  Observed people and noted that those with brain injuries acted differently. The brain, therefore, was the source of pleasure, joy, pain, sadness, laughter, and grief. Previously, people believed that the heart contained these emotions.

3. John Locke (1643 – 1704)  Argued that the mind receives information from the senses, changes this information into complex ideas, and forms conclusions. Phrenology (mid 19 th Century)  Personality could be determined from bumps on the head. Intelligence could also be physically measured. They believe in physical evidence of personality. Eg. Thieves had bumps above the ears.

4. Modern Psychology (late 19 th Century)  Modern psychology adhered to the scientific study of research and maintained standards of practice. They incorporated the scientific method into their studies.