Adapted from "Czech Republic National Tour," prepared by Jaroslav Sturma in Wedding, D., & Stevens, M. J. (Eds.). (2009). Psychology: IUPsyS Global Resource (Edition 2009) [CD-ROM]. International Journal of Psychology, 44(Suppl. 1).Reprinted from Wedding, D., & Stevens, M. J. (Eds.). (2009). Psychology: IUPsyS Global Resource (Edition 2009) [CD-ROM]. International Journal of Psychology, 44(Suppl. 1).

History

Psychology in the Czech Republic has developed in close connection with its development in other European countries, especially German-speaking countries. Prague was a meeting point of European culture, including psychology. Freud was born in Moravia, Max Wertheimer in Prague. At Charles University (now 650 years old) some important psychologists, such as J. Lindworski, lectured. In the nineteenth century philosophical psychology prevailed; with the twentieth century practical application arose in Prague with Professor Josef Cada (child psychology), Professor Vaclav Prihoda, and others and in Brno with Professor Mihajlo Rostohar. More can be found in Hoskovoc & Brozek (2000) European Psychologist, 5, 62-65.

Research

In the Czech Republic, there are two research workplaces in psychology - the Psychological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences with headquarters in Brno, and a second workplace in Prague. Apart from these, research work is provided by universities and applied research in the framework of research grants provided by ministries (of health, of education, of social affairs etc.)

Application prevails as the dominant focus of psychology in the Czech Republic.

Education

Three Czech Republic universities, those of Prague, Brno, and Olomouc, offer five-years of masters and doctoral study in psychology. In addition, faculties of education have started to educate educational psychologists. Recently, the study of psychology on the B.A. level has been introduced.

Regulations

Up to now, there are some regulations established by ministries for certain fields of application, for example, the required length and character of practice for clinical psychologists. The regulations apply for all psychologists who work in the defined area.

A proposed formal code of ethics for psychologists in the Czech Republic is ready and it is expected to be approved during the Psychological National Conference at Olomouc, September 2008.

Publications

Czechoslovak Psychology, 1957- , 6/year
Psychology in Economical Practice, 1965- , 2/year,
Psychology Today,1995- , 10/year
Newsletter of EMPS, 1990- , 4/year

Updated December 2008