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History of Psychology

Code: 102580 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Psychology FB 1

Contact

Name:
Monica Balltondre Pla
Email:
monica.balltondre@uab.cat

Teachers

Ruben Gomez Soriano
Berta Conill Purgimon

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

To read in English, Spanish and Catalan is required. There are not any other mandatory prerequisites for this subject.


Objectives and Contextualisation

THIS SUBJECT IS TAUGHT IN THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THE DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY. IT AIMS AT INTRODUCING STUDENTS TO PSYCHOLOGY AS SCIENCE, WHICH HAS CHANGED OVER TIME. AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER, THE STUDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO:
1. IDENTIFY SOME RELEVANT HISTORICAL FIGURES AND HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE EMERGENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY AS A PROFESSION AND RESEARCH AND THE ROLES OF SOME MEN AND WOMEN IN THE FIELD.
2. IDENTIFY DIFFERENT PSYCHOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND THEORIES THAT APPEARED DURING THE LAST CENTURIES.
3. DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENT PSYCHOLOGICAL CURRENTS AND SCHOOLS
4. KNOW AND BE ABLE TO REFLECT ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES IN RELATION TO GENDER INEQUALITIES AND THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION IN MODERN SOCIETIES
5. RELATE THE DIFFERENT PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES AND TRADITIONS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN THE HISTORY OF PSYCHOLOGY AND BE ABLE TO RECOGNISE AGREEMENTS AND DISAGREEMENTS AMONG THEM.
6. DESCRIBE THE MOST RELEVANT STRANDS OF APPLIED AND PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY THAT HAVE APPEARED IN THE HISTORY OF THE PSYCHOLOGY.
7. IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT EPISTEMOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO SCIENCE IN RELATION TO PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE.
8. COMPARE THE DIFFERENT METHODS USED IN PSYCHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION; DEDUCE THEIR FUNCTIONS, CHARACTERISTICS AND THE LIMITATIONS THEY OBTAINED WITHIN THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISCIPLINE.

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Apply knowledge, skills and acquired values critically, reflexively and creatively.
  • Distinguish and relate the different focuses and theoretical traditions that have contributed to the historical development of psychology as well as its influence on the production of knowledge and professional practice.
  • Recognise the epistemological foundations of the different research methods in psychology, their functions, characteristics and limitations.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  2. Apply knowledge, skills and acquired values critically, reflexively and creatively.
  3. Assess how stereotypes and gender roles impact professional practice.
  4. Assess the impact of the difficulties, prejudices and discriminations that actions or projects may involve, in the short or long term, in relation to certain persons or groups.
  5. Classify the different research methods that have been developed throughout the history of psychology.
  6. Communicate in an inclusive manner avoiding the use of sexist or discriminatory language.
  7. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  8. Describe the different proposal for applied and professional psychology throughout its history.
  9. Distinguish between the different movements and trends in psychology throughout its history.
  10. Distinguish the epistemological foundations that underlie the different theories and systems of movements or psychological currents within the historical development of psychology.
  11. Explain the explicit or implicit deontological code in your area of knowledge.
  12. Identify the different authors that make up the History of Psychology.
  13. Identify the different epistemological models of science and its appearance as part of the history of psychology.
  14. Identify the different systems and psychological theories throughout eh history of psychology.
  15. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  16. Identify the social, economic and/or environmental implications of academic and professional activities in the area of your knowledge.
  17. Propose projects and actions that are in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and obligations, diversity and democratic values.
  18. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  19. Relate the different focuses and traditions in psychology, agreements and disagreements, throughout its history.
  20. Relate the different psychological research methods, functions, features and limitations in the context of the development of the history of psychology.
  21. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  22. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Content

Topic 1. History, Science and psychology

Topic 2. Human beings in the middle ages

Topic 3. The modern subject

  3.1. Descartes

  3.2. Poscartesianism

Topic 4. The modern subject II

  4.1. Physiognomy and phrenology

  4.2. Mesmerism

Topic 5. The evolutive subject

  5.1. Darwin

  5.2. Social Darwinism. Degeneration and eugenics

Topic 6. Madness in the Modern period

  6.1. From the 18th century till the first half of the 19th century

  6.2. The second half of the 19th century

Topic 7. Psychology as a science

  7.1. First labs in psychology

  7.2. The science professionalization and women’s exclusion

  7.3. Animal experimentation

Topic 8. Psychology in the 20th century

  8.1. First world war and the rise of psychotechnics and psychotherapy

  8.2. Contemporary psychology

Topic 9. Madness in the 20th century 


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Laboratory exercises 4 0.16 5, 8, 20
Lectures 36 1.44 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 19
Seminaries 12 0.48 2, 9, 10, 14, 19
Type: Supervised      
tutorials 8 0.32 9, 10, 19, 20
Type: Autonomous      
abstracts and schemata 18 0.72 2, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 19
study 39 1.56 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20
text reading 29 1.16 9, 12, 14, 19

Whole Group: Flipped classroom, lectures with multimedia support.
 
Practical sessions: Exercises and discussions on texts. Critical readings of primary sources. Elaboration of a short film (PBL). 
 
Laboratory sessions in small groups: Replication of some classical experiments and analysis of various psychological methodologies.
 
Supervised activity: Through tutorials the progress of the student's learning process will be followed via Moodle, e-mail and in the classroom.
 
Autonomous activity: the student is expected to read texts, do exercises, follow the explanations given in class, prepare summaries, study the material provided to classes with the help of textbooks and recommended readings.
 

The proposed teaching and assessment methodologies may experience some modifications as a result of the restrictions on face-to-face learning imposed by the health authorities. The teaching staff will use the Moodle classroom or the usual communication channel to specify whether the different directed and assessment activities are to be carried out on site or online, as instructed by the Faculty.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Assessment 1 35% 2 0.08 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 22, 21
Assessment 2 35% 2 0.08 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 22, 21, 19
Assessment 3 30% 0 0 7, 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 3, 4

1) ASSESSMENT 1: Individual exam. The mark will be the 35% of the final grade. The exam will take place during the first assessment period. The feedback of this evaluation will take place in the classroom after 'week 12' of the term. 
2) ASSESSMENT 2: Individual exam. The mark will be the 35% of the final grade.  The exam will take place during the second assessment period. The feedback of this evaluation will  be online (in the moodle), after 'week 21' of the term. 
3) ASSESSMENT 3: elaboration of a short film in group in the half of the group classes. The mark will be the 30% of the final grade. The due date of this assignment will be in the 15th week of the term. The feedback of this evaluation will take place in PAUL sessions an during the presentations in 15th week. 
 
Students who have not performed any of the assessments or have completed learning evidences with a weight lower than 40% for the whole subject will be marked as "Not evaluable". 
 
DEFINITION OF PASSING THE SUBJECT:
The student will pass the subject when a) his or her final grade is 5 or higher (counting the percentatges of each assessment), b) the grade of the assesment 1 and 2 must be more than 3.5 and c) has done assessment 1 and 2 which are mandatory, whereas 3 is not; otherwise the maximum grade in the course will be 4.5.
 
Students may be elegible for final resit when 1) have a continuous assessment mark between 3.5 and below 5.0 (below 3.5 it will be not possible), and 2) have carried out the two mandatory evidences (Assessment 1 and Assement 2) with a qualification over 3 in at leats one of this assesments. The qualification of the recovered evidence will replace the previously obtained and the total qualification will be recalculated with the criteria aforementioned. Assessment 3 can not be resat.  
 
SECOND ENROLLMENTS: we recommended to the students to do the subject again as it was the first time they enroll the subject. Nevertheless, they can also take a unique final evaluation of the whole subject (an open examen of 10 questions). The mark of the exam will be the final mark of subject.   
 
Unique Assessment
Its is mandatory to inform about this choice during the period set by the calendar of the Faculty of Psychology. This evaluation consists of doing Ev1 and Ev2 in the second evaluation period. Passing this single assessment follows the same criteria as those for passing the subject and the grades will be calculating the same way as in the other assessment. The recovery, on the other hand, will have to be of the two evidences regardless of whether one of them has been approved and it will be done on the day of the recovery set by the calendar. Estimated duration of this test: 3 hours and a half. 
 
To ask for the translation of the evaluation tests into a language other than Catalan, you must met the requirements described in article 263 and you must requested in the web's faculty electronically during week 4 of the semester. 
 
For further information on the assessement guidelines of the faculty, see:https://www.uab.cat/web/estudiar/graus/graus/avaluacions-1345722525858.html 
 

Use of AI:

In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is allowed for Ev3. It will be necessary to indicate in this evidence which parts have been generated with this technology and specify with which tools. Failure to do so will be considereda lack of intellectual and academic honesty and therefore, will be penalized in the grade of the activity or may lead to greater sanctions if applicable.


Bibliography

Elemental:

Greenwood, J.D. (2009). Historia de la Psicología. Un enfoque conceptual. Madrid, España: McGraw Hill, 2011.
Hergenhahn, B. (2014). Introducción a la historia de la psicología. Madrid, España: Paraninfo.
 
Leahey, TH. (2013). Historia de la Psicología. Madrid, España: Pearson Educación, 7ª ed.

Pickren, Wade E. & Alexandra Rutherford (2010). A History of Modern Psychology in Context. Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.

Schultz, Duane P. y Schultz, Sydney Ellen (2011). A History of Modern Psychology. Tenth edition. Belmont: Wadsworth.

Recomended:
Ash, M., & Sturm, T. (2012). Psychology's territories: Historical and contemporary perspectives from different disciplines. Psychology Press.
Baker, D. (ed) (2012). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Psychology: Global perspectives. New York, USA: Oxford UniversityPress.
Benjamín, L.T. (2007). A brief history of modern psychology. Malden, USA: Blackwell Publishing.
Brett, D., Wayne, V. & Douglas, W. (2008). A history of psychology: ideas and context. USA: Allyn & Bacon, 4ª ed.
Campos, R. y Gonzáles de Pablo, A. (2016). Psiquiatría e higiene mental en el primer franquismo. Catarata.
Carpintero, H. (2004). Historia de la psicología en España. Madrid, Madrid: Pirámide.
Carson, J. (2007). The measure of merit: Talents, intelligence, and inequality in the French and American republics, 1750-1940. Princeton University Press.
Danziger, K. (1994). Constructing the subject: Historical origins of psychological research. Cambridge University Press
García Dauder, Sílvia (2005). Psicología y feminismo. Historia olvidada de mujeres pioneras en Psicología. Madrid: Narcea.
Gondra, J.Mª (1997/1998). Historia de la Psicología. Introducción al pensamiento moderno. Volumen I y II. Madrid, España: Síntesis.
Green, C.; Shore, M. & Teo, T. (2001). The transformation of psychology: influences of 19th century philosophy, technology and natural science. Washington: APA.
Hock, R. (2008). Forty studies that changed psychology: explorations into the history of psychological research. Upper Saddle River, USA: Prentice-Hall
Hothersall, D. (1997). Historia de la Psicología. Madrid, España: McGraw Hill.
Jansz, J. y Van Drunen, P. (2004). A social history of psychology. Malden, USA: Blackwell.
Lafuente, Enrique; Loredo, José Carlos; Castro, Jorge y Pizarroso, Noemí (2017). Historia de la Psicología. Madrid: UNED
Mandler, G. (2007). A history of modern experimental psychology: from James and Wundt to Cognitive Science. Cambridge, USA: MIT Press.
Malone, J.C. (2009). Psychology: Pythagoras to present. Cambridge, USA:MIT Press.
Munger, M. (2003). The history of psychology: Fundamental questions. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.
O’Boyle. Ch. G. (2006). History of psychology: A cultural perspective. Mahwah, USA: L.E.A.
Porter, R. (2002). Breve historia de la locura. Madrid, España: Turner (F.C.E.).
Reed, E. (1997). From soul to mind: the emergence of psychology from Erasmus Darwin to William James. London, England:Yale University Press.
Rivière, A. (1991). Objetos con mente. Madrid, España: Alianza.
Sáiz, M., Sáiz, D. y Mülberger, A. (coords.) (1995). Historia de la Psicología: Manual de prácticas. Barcelona, España: Avesta.
Searle, J (1994). Mentes, cerebro y ciencia. Madrid, España: Cátedra.
Smith, R.(1997). The Norton history of the human sciences. WW Norton & Company.
Slater, L. (2004). Opening Skinner’s box. Great psychology experiments of the twentieth century. Nueva York, USA: WW. Norton & Co.
Villasante, Olga, Ruth Candela Ramírez, Ana Conseglieri Gámez, Raquel Tierno Patiño, Paloma Vázquez de la Torre, Rafael Huertas (2018). Cartas desde el manicomio. Experiencias de internamiento en la Casa de Santa Isabel de Leganés. Madrid: Catarata. 
 
With originals sources:

Benjamin, L.T. (2009), A History of Psychology, Original Sources and Contemporary Research. Malden, USA: Blackwell Publishing, 3ª ed.
Brennan, J.F. (2000). Psicología. Historia y Sistemas. Lecturas. Madrid, España: Prentice Hall.
Ferrándiz, A.; Lafuente, E. y Loredo, J.C. (2001). Lecturas de Historia de la Psicología. Madrid, España: UNED.
Gentile, B. y Millar, B. (2009). Foundations of psychology thought: A history of psychology. Thousand Oak, USA: Sage.
Goddwin, C.J. (2010). Annotated readings in the history of modern psychology. Hoboken, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
Gondra, J.Mª (1982). La psicología moderna. Bilbao, España: Desclée de Brouwer.
Lafuente, E., Loredo, J.C., Herrero, F. y Castro, J. (2005). De Vives a Yela: Antología de textos de historia de la psicología en España. Madrid, España: UNED.
Pickren, W. y Dewsbury, D. (2002). Envolving perspectives on the history of psychology. Washington, USA: A.P.A.
Quiñones, E., Tortosa, F. y Carpintero, H: (1993). Historia de la Psicología. Textos y Comentarios. Madrid, España: Tecnos.
Sahakian, W.S. (1982). Historia de la Psicología.Ciudad de México, México: Trillas.


Software

This subject does not required any specific software.


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 11 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 12 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 21 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 22 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 31 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 32 Catalan/Spanish first semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 41 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 42 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 52 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 111 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 112 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 113 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 114 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 211 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 212 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 213 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 214 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 311 Catalan/Spanish first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 312 Catalan/Spanish first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 313 Catalan/Spanish first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 314 Catalan/Spanish first semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 411 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 412 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 413 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 414 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 511 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 512 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 513 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 3 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 4 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 5 Catalan first semester morning-mixed