Foundation of psychologyChapter 13Psychology and society Science overtakes religion in Western society Initial strong links between psychological thinking and religion Psychology as a separate branch of knowledge grew out of the rising role of scientific thinking in Western society.Education for a long time was controlled by the churches, which did not look favourably upon those who tried to examine the soul.Many early psychologists had strong connections with religion.Alliance formation with the expanding sciences Rapidly, the experimental psychologists distanced themselves from religion, because it jeopardies their scientific credentials.They sought to align themselves with the rapidly growing natural sciences, by denouncing weaker fields that might contaminate them, such as religion, philosophy, and sociology.Psychologists replace pastors Fewer people felt comfortable discussing their mental health problems with religious authorities.Whereas for a long time churches were the first port to call for mental health problems, growing secularisation increased the need for non-religious counselling.At the same time, a growing number of clergy started to study psychology to improve the help they were able to provide.Changes in society impinge on psychological practice Impact on psychological research The massive changes in the organisation of Western society in the nineteenth and twentieth century generated ideas and research opportunities for psychologists.Six...