1.2 - How Psychology Became a Science Flashcards
Empiricism
a philosophical tenet that knowledge comes through experience
*knowledge about the world is based on careful observation, not on common sense of speculation
Determinism
the belief that all events are governed by lawful, cause-and effect relationships
*behaviour determined by both internal (ex. genes, brain, chemistry) and external influences
Psychological Science
both empirical and deterministic
*behviour can only be understood by making observations and testing hypotheses
Hippocrates
developed world’s first personality classification scheme
Four humours influenced health and personality (blood, yellow bile, black bile, phlegm)
Galen of Peragmon
suggested 4 humours combined to create temperaments
Sanguine (blood) = impulsive, pleasure seeking, charismatic
Choleric (yellow bile) = ambitious, energetic, aggressive
Melancholic (black bile) = independent, perfectionistic, introverted
Phlegmatic (phlegm) = quiet, relaxed, content
Zeigeist
a general set of beliefs of a particular culture at a specific time in history
Materialism
belief that humans, and other living beings, are composed exclusively of physical matter
Dualism
properties of humans that are not material (mind or soul separate from the body)
Gustav Fechner
Sensation and Perception
Psychophysics = study of relationship between physical world and mental representation of that world
Developed formula to calculate and perceived changes
Charles Darwin
Theory of evolution by natural selection
- behaviour also shaped by natural selection
- behaviour, like physical traits, are affected by hereditary influences
Clinical Psychology
field of psychology that concentrates on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders
Brain Localization
certain parts of the brain control specific mental abilities and personality characteristics
Studied in two different ways :
Phrenology (Franz Gall and Johann Spurzheim)
- brain consists of 27 “organs” corresponding to mental traits and dispositions detected by examining surface of skull
- diff. traits and abilities were distributed across diff. regions of the brain
- if particular trait is possessed, that area of brain = larger
- measures bumps on head to identify diff. traits
Study of brain injuries (Paul Broca and Karl Wernicke)
- had scientific grounding phrenology lacked
Franz Mesmer
prolonged exposure to magnets can cure disease and insanity (rejected)
Psychosomatic medicine
Hyponosis
Sigmund Freud
started using hypnosis
Cured hysterical paralysis (lose feeling and control of specific body part)
Psychoanalysis = attempts to explain how behaviour and personality are influenced by unconscious processes
When a person is hypnotized, easier access to unconscious mind by psychoanalyst
Medical Model = use of medical ideas to treat disorders of emotion, thoughts, and behaviour
Early life influences our behaviour as adults
Sir Francis Galton
Cousin of Charles Darwin
Believed genetics explained psychological differences
Eminence = combo of ability, morality, achievement
Nature vs. Nurture Relationships = inquiry into how heredity (nature) ad enviro. (nurture) influence behaviour and mental processes
Eugenics (“good genes”, biased) = lead to mistreatment and influenced the thinking of Hitler (White, blond, blue eyes, German = good)
Wilhelm Wundt
established psychology as independent scientific field
Primary research method = introspection
- exp. of stimulus and report each sensation
- reaction time = mental activity not instantaneous, requires effort
- measuring mental activity