1.2 - How Psychology Became a Science Flashcards

1
Q

Empiricism

A

a philosophical tenet that knowledge comes through experience

*knowledge about the world is based on careful observation, not on common sense of speculation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Determinism

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Psychological Science

A

both empirical and deterministic

*behviour can only be understood by making observations and testing hypotheses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Hippocrates

A

developed world’s first personality classification scheme

Four humours influenced health and personality (blood, yellow bile, black bile, phlegm)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Galen of Peragmon

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Zeigeist

A

a general set of beliefs of a particular culture at a specific time in history

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Materialism

A

belief that humans, and other living beings, are composed exclusively of physical matter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Dualism

A

properties of humans that are not material (mind or soul separate from the body)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Gustav Fechner

A

Sensation and Perception

Psychophysics = study of relationship between physical world and mental representation of that world

Developed formula to calculate and perceived changes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Charles Darwin

A

Theory of evolution by natural selection

  • behaviour also shaped by natural selection
  • behaviour, like physical traits, are affected by hereditary influences
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Clinical Psychology

A

field of psychology that concentrates on the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Brain Localization

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Franz Mesmer

A

prolonged exposure to magnets can cure disease and insanity (rejected)

Psychosomatic medicine

Hyponosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Sigmund Freud

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Sir Francis Galton

A

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)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Wilhelm Wundt

A

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
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Edward Titchener

A

Student of Wundt

Structuralism = attempt to analyze unconscious experience by breaking it down into basic elements, and to understand how these elements work together

Mental exps. made up of limited # of sensations, which were analogous to elements in physics and chemistry

18
Q

William James

A

wrote first textbook in psychology

  • sought to explain how our thoughts and actions help us adapt to our enviro.
  • Functionalism
19
Q

Functionalism

A

study of purpose and function of behaviour and conscious experience

ex. evolutionary psychology

(William James)

20
Q

Evolutionary Psychology

A

interprets and explains modern human behaviour in terms of forces acting upon our distant ancestors

21
Q

Professor Edwin Twitmyer

A

Behaviourism

22
Q

Behaviourism

A

studying only observable behaviour w/ little to no reference to mental events or instincts as possible influences on behaviour

  • approach dominated first half of 20th century of North American psychology

(Professor Edwin Twitmyer)

23
Q

Ivan Pavlov

A

credited for classical conditioning that was discovered by Edwin Twitmyer

24
Q

John B. Watson

A
  • behaviour is explained through conditioning
  • only observable changes in envrio. and behaviour were appropriate for scientific study
  • rejected Wundt’s introspection
  • believed in power of exp. not genetics
  • influenced advirtisement
25
Q

B. F. Skinner

A
  • agreed w/ Watson that psychology = study of behaviour not unobservable mind
  • reward and punishment (we repeat actions that lead to reward, avoid actions that lead to punishment)
26
Q

Behaviourists

A

human behaviour is a product of rewards, punishments, and learned associations

27
Q

Psychoanalysts

A

human exp. is result of unconscious forces at work deep in the human psyche

28
Q

Humanistic Psychology

A

focuses on unique characteristics of each individual, each person’s freedom to act, their rational thought, belief that humans are diff. from animals

*humans had freedom to act and rational mind to guide processes

(Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow)

29
Q

Karl Lashly

A
  • interested in locating engram (place in brain where memory is stored)
  • principle of mass action (size of damage impacts impairment in performance)
30
Q

Donald Hebb

A
  • student of Karl Lashly
  • how learning occurs
  • Hebb’s Law
31
Q

Hebb’s Law

A

when brain cell stimulates another cell, metabolic and physical changed occur to strengthen relationship

32
Q

Wilder Penfield

A
  • created maps of sensory and motor cortices in the brain

- removed cells from part of brain to prevent it from spreading to other parts

33
Q

Herman Ebbinghaus

A
  • collected data on remembering and forgetting

- “forgetting curves” = we forget what we learn quickly but the rate will slow and allow us to remember SOME info.

34
Q

Frederick Bartlett

A
  • memory is influenced by cultural knowledge and exp.

- gestalt psychology

35
Q

Gestalt Psychology

A

approch emphasizing that psychologists need to focus on the whole of perception and exp. rather than its parts

36
Q

Structuralist

A

breaking exp. into individual parts

37
Q

Norman Triplett

A
  • people respond to stimuli or events in presence of other people
  • social psychology/personality psychology
38
Q

Social Psychology

A

study of influence of others on our behaviour

Norman Triplett

39
Q

Personality Psychology

A

how different personality characteristics influence how we think/act

(Norman Triplett)

40
Q

Kurt Lewin

A
  • founder of modern social psychology
  • behaviour = function of individual and the environment
  • behaviour can be predicted/explained through understanding of individual w/ specific set of traits and how they respond to context involved a specific set of conditions (ex. quiet vs. outgoing)
  • cross-cultural
41
Q

Cross-Cultural

A

draws comparisons about individual and group behaviour among cultures

  • role of society in shaping behaviour, beliefs, values