8- Gestalt Approaches Flashcards
What was psychology based on in the early 1900s?
Behaviourism
How was research done mostly when psychology was based on behaviourism?
On animals
When did the Gestalt approach come about?
In the 1920s
What did the Gestalt approach stem from?
Behaviourism
What is the ultimate goal of problem solving?
Insight
What are 2 key concepts of the Gestalt approach?
Restructuring and incubation
Who was studied by Kohler, 1925?
Sultan the ape
What was Sultan the ape capable of?
Sudden restructuring of the problem where the solution suddenly occurs
What was Thorndike’s law of effect?
Any behaviour followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated and any behaviour followed by negative consequences is likely to be stopped
What did Thorndike’s law of effect lead to?
Operant conditioning
Who investigated insight and how?
Kounios and Beeman, 2009 by an EEG/fMRI study
What was done in the insight investigation?
Participants pressed a button when they thought they’d achieved insight while researchers saw a spike in neural activity
What was found in the investigation of insight?
There was a spike in the parahippocampal gyrus neural activity milliseconds before participants thought they’d achieved insight
What was reported when insight was investigated?
Whether the solution was developed gradually (analytical) or came suddenly (insight)
What was the problem with insight?
Gestalt psychologists described insight but didn’t explain mechanisms behind it
