Contributions to the History of Psychology: XCVIII. Topical Content of History-Of-Psychology Literature, 1975–1986

Abstract

Psychological Abstracts was used to identify history-of-psychology literature published from 1975 through 1986. Perusal of these 1478 publications provided information on the principal topics of each. Disciplines, theories, and methodology were the most popular subjects of historical treatment; psychological apparatus was the least popular. Although psychoanalytic and behavioral topics were well-represented in the literature, topical diversity was the most prominent feature. Our findings were discussed in relation to (a) relevant factors that affect topical visibility, (b) the disciplinary status of the history of psychology, and (c) the issue of disunity in contemporary psychology.