In this paper, I am going to discuss Charles Darwin’s greatest contributions to psychology, including his theory of the evolution of instinct and the part that intelligence plays, the evolution of the mind, from the lowest animal to the highest man, and the expressions of emotion. At the end of this biographical sketch I have concluded that although Darwin’s contributions to psychology are not always acknowledged, most psychologists would agree with many of his findings. If I wanted to further this research, I would analyze his contributions and impacts on comparative psychology. Keywords: Charles Darwin, psychology, evolution of instinct, evolution of mind, expressions of emotion, darwinism Charles Darwin observed that “[his] mind seems
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From his studies, Darwin inferred that the intelligence of man stems from the mind of animals (Angell, 2016). From the least intelligent animal to the most intelligent animal, Darwin observes that their minds grow stronger and smarter as he goes up the hierarchy of intelligence (Angell, 2016). However at the top of the hierarchy are humans, who possess the most complete intelligence - this is why humans are not animals (Angell, 2016). The development of mind does not stop here, for humans have different ranges of intellect, ranging from the uneducated, uncivilized, to the geniuses (Angell, 2016). Not only does physical form play a role in natural selection, so do mental factors (Angell, 2016). Darwin thought that humans and nonhumans that were aware of the value of mental factors in natural selection would be more likely to live and pass on their genes (Angell, 2016). He also observed through his studies on intelligence that animals use tools, just like humans; he concluded that although animals are not as intelligent as humans, they do form concepts and can make abstractions (Angell, 2016). Darwin’s second contribution to natural science is also a contribution to psychology because he is studying the evolution of intelligence, a psychological concept (Angell, …show more content…
Darwin’s theories contributed most to comparative psychology, which is the study of the behavior and mental processes of nonanimals, oftentimes to find out more about humans (McLeod, 1970). Since Darwin died shortly before psychology schools and systems were founded, he could not have been opposed to any schools or systems. I chose Darwin because his ideas are important in distinguishing the difference between the human and animal minds. This is relevant in psychology today because most psychologists focus on the human mind, so it is fundamental to understand what makes it so unique compared to nonhuman minds. I wanted to focus my biographical sketch on a comparative psychologist because I have always been drawn to stories of people who lack humanity and animals who show humanity. By research Darwin’s contributions, I finally know more about how his ideas are the foundation of comparative psychology. If I were to further my research, I would look more into the discoveries of comparative psychology and other comparative
From his studies, Darwin inferred that the intelligence of man stems from the mind of animals (Angell, 2016). From the least intelligent animal to the most intelligent animal, Darwin observes that their minds grow stronger and smarter as he goes up the hierarchy of intelligence (Angell, 2016). However at the top of the hierarchy are humans, who possess the most complete intelligence - this is why humans are not animals (Angell, 2016). The development of mind does not stop here, for humans have different ranges of intellect, ranging from the uneducated, uncivilized, to the geniuses (Angell, 2016). Not only does physical form play a role in natural selection, so do mental factors (Angell, 2016). Darwin thought that humans and nonhumans that were aware of the value of mental factors in natural selection would be more likely to live and pass on their genes (Angell, 2016). He also observed through his studies on intelligence that animals use tools, just like humans; he concluded that although animals are not as intelligent as humans, they do form concepts and can make abstractions (Angell, 2016). Darwin’s second contribution to natural science is also a contribution to psychology because he is studying the evolution of intelligence, a psychological concept (Angell, …show more content…
Darwin’s theories contributed most to comparative psychology, which is the study of the behavior and mental processes of nonanimals, oftentimes to find out more about humans (McLeod, 1970). Since Darwin died shortly before psychology schools and systems were founded, he could not have been opposed to any schools or systems. I chose Darwin because his ideas are important in distinguishing the difference between the human and animal minds. This is relevant in psychology today because most psychologists focus on the human mind, so it is fundamental to understand what makes it so unique compared to nonhuman minds. I wanted to focus my biographical sketch on a comparative psychologist because I have always been drawn to stories of people who lack humanity and animals who show humanity. By research Darwin’s contributions, I finally know more about how his ideas are the foundation of comparative psychology. If I were to further my research, I would look more into the discoveries of comparative psychology and other comparative