Psychology Ch.1, 2

• What did Plato believe about psychology and knowledge?

  Plato: Knowledge is innate
• What did Aristotle believe about psychology?

  Philosophical empiricism: All knowledge is acquired through experience
• What is nature vs nurture?

  Nature refers to how genetics influence an individual's personality, whereas nurture refers to how their environment (including relationships and experiences) impacts their development.
• What is involved in the study of epigenetics?

  How environmental influences (nurture) affect the expression of genes without changing our DNA (nature)
• What is dualism and who is accredited with the study?

  Descartes (1596-1650), dualism is the idea that man/woman/person is made up of two parts: Spiritual (non-physical: soul) and material (physical): body, brain, etc.)
• What is materialism and who is accredited with the study?

  Hobbes (1588-1679); idea that matter is a fundamental substance in nature, and that all things are a result of material interaction - mind is product of the brain
• Who supported materialism and what happens to the brain if damaged based on this belief?

  Pierre Paul Broca - damage to specific parts of the brain affects specific functions: Louis Victor Leborgne (’Tan’) example (lost ability to speak but could say the word Tan)
• What is aphasia?

  Language disorder caused by damage to a specific region of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension
• Which philosophers have asked questions about how we perceive the physical world?

  John Locke (1632-1704): Philosophical realism: perceptions of the physical world are produced entirely by information from the sensory organs

  Immanuel Kant (1724 -1804): Philosophical idealism: perceptions of the physical world are the brain’s interpretation of information from the sensory organs
• Sensation vs perception?

  Sensation refers to the stimulation of a sensory organ, Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information
• What was early psychology composed of?

  Experimental psychology and clinical psychology
• In experimental psychology, which two schools of though emerged and by way of what country?

  ◦ Two schools of thought ◦ Structuralism (Germany) ◦ Functionalism (USA)
• What was the aim of structuralism and who is accredited with the study?

  Aim: Identify fundamental elements of psychological experience • Wundt & Titchener
• What was the aim of functionalism and who is accredited with the study?

  Aim: To study the purpose of mental processes in adapting to the environment • James (influenced by Darwin)
• Who was Wilhelm Wundt?

  (1832-1920) Father of experimental psychology ◦First experimental psychology lab (Leipzig, 1879)
• What did structuralism hope to do?

  Focus on the structure of the human mind ◦Consciousness can be broken down ◦Basic elements akin to chemistry ◦Elements discovered using introspection
• What is introspection?

  Introspection: Method that asks people to report on the contents of their subjective experiences
• Who was William James?

  ◦Father of American Psychology ◦First psychology demonstration lab (1875) ◦First American textbook (1890)
• What did functionalism hope to do?

  Consciousness viewed as a flowing stream ◦Influenced by Darwin ◦Mental processes serve to enable people to adapt to their environment
• Natural selection?

  Features of an organism that help it survive and reproduce are more likely than other features to be passed on to subsequent generations
• When did clinical psychology emerge and who is accredited with the field?

  Clinical psychology emerged in the 1890’s ◦ Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was the founder of psychoanalytic theory and psychoanalysis a therapeutic treatment for mental illness
• List these in order from earliest to latest found: Functionalism, Psychoanalysis, Structuralism

  Structuralism, Functionalism, Psychoanalysis
• What study was crucial to the development of the psychoanalytic theory?

  The study of hysteria was fundamental to the development of Psychoanalytic theory. Hysteria = a loss of function that has no obvious physical origin ◦ Freud viewed hysterical symptoms as related to trauma ◦ Unconfronted traumatic events pushed out of awareness manifesting as physical symptoms
• What is the psychoanalytic theory?

  Psychoanalytic theory = personality theory (mind viewed as a set of often conflicting processes that are largely hidden from awareness. Consciousness as viewed by structuralists and functionalists was seen as a mere fraction of the mind
• What is personality?

  Personality refers to the enduring characteristics and behavior that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life, including major traits, interests, etc.
• What three forces impact personality, and what drives interactions?

  Id Ego Superego. Interactions between the id, ego, and superego are largely driven by anxiety
• What do structuralism and functionalism have in common?

   Both were interested in understanding how the elements of the mind worked together to produce actions.
• What is different about structuralism and functionalism ?

  Structuralism focuses on consciousness and perception. Functionalism focuses on why human behavior changes.
• What is behaviourism school of thought ?

  Dominant school of thought from ~1920’s-1950’s; moved psychology away from studying the mind to studying behaviour.

  Behaviour is observable actions
• Who is accredited with behaviourism?

  John B Watson
• What did Watson say?

  . The position is taken here that the behavior of man and the behavior of animals must be considered in the same plane.”
• What does behaviourism focus on?

  Systematic approach to understanding behaviour ◦ Seen as a consequence of the environment ◦ Focus on stimulus and response learning ◦No attempt to understand mental processes
• What is the contribution of behaviourism to psychology?

  Behaviorism is largely responsible for establishing psychology as a scientific discipline through its objective methods and especially experimentation.
• What is humanism and when did it emerge? Who is it accredited to?

  ◦Maslow, Rogers (1900-1980) Humanism emerged in the late 1950's in opposition to psychoanalytic theory ◦ Behaviour shaped by conscious thoughts and feelings. People viewed as free agents ◦ Aware of what is best for them ◦ Emphasis on positive potential and need for self-actualization
• What are the tiers of maslow's hierarchy of needs?

  Physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem, self-actualization
• What is cognitive psychology?

  Cognitive psychology: the study of mental processes such as attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and thinking
• What was the Cognitive Revolution? What drove its commencement?

  Shift occurring in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s◦Large scale return to studying the mind. Factors: ◦Disappointment in Behaviorism ◦ People Lab rats ◦ Difficulties explaining complex behaviours
• Other factors driving Cognitive Revolution?

  ◦ Knowledge of cognitive research ◦ Largely in Europe (e.g.: Gestalt Psychology) ◦Invention of the computer
• Aside: Gestalt Psychology?

  German school of thought circa. 2012, ◦ Emphasizes the active role that the mind plays in generating perceptual experience
• Timeline of all parts of psychology?

  Structuralism, Functionalism, Psychoanalytic perspective, gestalt, dev psych (piaget), social psych (lev), humanism, cognitive revolution - Behaviourism is part of gestalt, dev and social (1920s - 1950s)