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Historical Development of Indian Psychology - Coggle Diagram
Historical Development of Indian Psychology
Psychology as a Western Import
: Academic psychology in India began in the early 20th century as a direct import from the West. It was initially established at Calcutta University in 1916, with its structure and methodology heavily influenced by Western models of research and teaching. This initial phase focused on experimental psychology, psychophysics, and laboratory research.
1905
: Brojendra Nath Seal drafts the first syllabus for experimental psychology and establishes a laboratory for demonstration purposes at Calcutta University.
KinğGeorge V Professor in Department of Philosophy
1916
: The first psychology department, the Department of Experimental Psychology, is established at Calcutta University. This department was upgraded from the demonstration laboratory.
Early Centers and Key Figures
: Key figures such as
Brojendra Nath Seal,
Narendra Nath Sengupta
- Harvard educated under Hugo Musterberg
Girindra Shekhar Bose
- medical doctor and a psychiatrist + had close contact with Sigmund Freud
They were instrumental in establishing psychology in India. Seal set up the first lab, Sengupta established the first department, and Bose promoted psychoanalysis. Other important centers emerged at Mysore and Patna.
Psychoanalysis and Mental Testing
: Alongside experimental psychology, psychoanalysis, influenced by Sigmund Freud, and mental testing, influenced by Spearman, also became prominent in the early years of Indian psychology.
1922
: The Indian Psychoanalytic Society is founded by Girindra Shekhar Bose.
1923
: Psychology is included as a separate section in the Indian Science Congress.
1924
: The Indian Psychological Association is founded. The Indian Psychoanalytic Society is affiliated with the International Psycho-analytic Society.
1925
: The first psychology journal in India, the Indian Journal of Psychology, is published.
1928
: N.N. Sengupta co-authors "Introduction to Social Psychology" with Radhakamal Mukherjee, which had a more sociological orientation than psychological.
1935
: Prasad conducts a rumour study during a major earthquake in northern India, which was later acknowledged by Festinger as an inspiration for his cognitive dissonance theory.
1938
: The Department of Experimental Psychology at Calcutta University starts an Applied Psychology Wing.
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Living in Two Worlds
: Early Indian psychologists often existed in "two worlds," compartmentalizing their professional work in Western psychology from their personal and cultural interests. This led to a lack of engagement with social and political issues, as well as a lack of continuity and commitment in their research. This disconnect was due to the fact that the discipline was not seen as useful by the colonial rulers in the same way that sociology or anthropology was.
Nandy (1995) in Dalal (2014) - ‘As a result,the usual encounter between an ancient culture with its distinctive culture of science and an exogenous science with its own distinctive culture fractured the self-definition not only of Bose but of many others involved in the similar enterprise’
Post-Independence Growth and Expansion
: After India's independence in 1947, psychology saw significant growth within universities, with many departments being established by splitting from philosophy departments. This expansion was rapid but unplanned, with departments often developing around the interests of dominant scholars.
1947
: India gains independence from British rule. The UP Psychological Bureau is established. Girindra Shekhar Bose brings out a journal called
Samiksha
.
1949
: The Psychological Research Wing of the Defence Science Organization is set up.
1950
: Gardner Murphy is procured by the Ministry of Education through UNESCO to develop a research program to investigate the causes of communal violence. The Ahmedabad Textile Industries Research Association (ATIRA) is established.
1955
: Advanced training programs are introduced at the All India Institute of Mental Health (now NIMHANS).
1956
: The University Grants Commission (UGC) is constituted and provides funds to various universities to start psychology departments.
1960s
: The number of psychology departments increases to thirty-two by the end of the 1960s.
1961
: Ganguli publishes "Industrial Productivity and Motivation". Because industrial psychology grew due to industrialization in 50s and 60s
Western influence persisted in clinical psychology - aversive therapy, conditioning, etc.,
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1960s-1970s
: A number of Indian scholars go to Britain, Canada, and the United States for doctoral and post-doctoral training.
The Crisis of Identity
: By the 1970s, a crisis of identity emerged within Indian psychology, with many realizing that it was mostly an imitation of Western research. There was a growing disillusionment with the applicability of Western theories to Indian social issues. This led to a call for a return to cultural roots and the development of indigenous psychology.
Nandy (1974) argued:‘Indian psychology has become not merely
imitative and subservient but also dull and replicative’ (p. 5). K. G. Agrawal (1973) called psychology in India as ‘adoptology’.
1970s-1980s
: A crisis of identity emerges in Indian psychology, with a growing realization that it was mostly an imitation of Western research.
1990s
: The UGC, NCERT and ICSSR have shaped the nature and direction of research in the past four decades.
Emergence of Indigenous Psychology
: In response to the crisis of identity, there was a movement towards indigenization, with a focus on developing psychology rooted in Indian traditions. This involved drawing on ancient scriptures, philosophical texts, and cultural practices to develop new concepts and theories.
1980s-1990s
: Efforts to rejuvenate psychology in ancient texts intensifies.
Three Streams of Indigenization
: Indigenization efforts led to three research streams: problem-oriented research, cross-cultural psychology, and Indian psychology. Problem-oriented research focused on applying psychology to Indian issues; cross-cultural psychology tested Western theories in India; and Indian psychology explored the traditional knowledge and spiritual practices of India.
Indian Psychology as a Distinct Approach
: Indian psychology is characterized by a focus on the inner self, consciousness, and subjective methods of self-verification. It seeks to understand and transform the individual, emphasizing the pursuit of perfection, certainty, and happiness. It is considered universal, not limited to a specific culture, dealing with the human condition across time and cultures.
2001
: Several conferences on Indian psychology are held.
2002
: The Pondicherry Manifesto is created.
2004
: Joshi and Cornelissen’s edited volume,
Consciousness, Indian Psychology and Yoga
is published.
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Spiritual Orientation
: Indian psychology has a spiritual orientation, encompassing the whole range of human progression, and a faith in higher powers. However, it is not bound by any particular faith or "ism," and serves as a secular account of human nature. It blends the mundane with the transcendental.
Veridical Methods
: Indian psychology relies on methods of self-observation and direct observation, blending first- and second-person perspectives. Yoga and meditation are used to test and validate higher mental states.
Applied Orientation
: Indian psychology has an applied focus, seeking to transform human conditions towards well-being. It seeks to help individuals transcend from conditioned thinking to a state of freedom.
Contemporary Developments
: The field is increasingly accepting a psychology rooted in native wisdom and philosophical traditions. There is a renewed interest in Indian values and a growing recognition of the limitations of Western psychology. The new era of Indian psychology is geared towards many possibilities.