Chapter 11 - American Psychology and Functionalism Flashcards
Functionalism emphasis
Individual differences, evolutionary theory, and practicality
E.g., the function of traits/behaviours as evolutionary adaptations
Characteristics of functionalism
Opposition to search for “elements” of consciousness (i.e., structuralism)
Belief and interest in mental processes having functions that enable adaptation
Belief that psychology should be a practical rather than “pure” science
Broadened psychology to include research on animals, children, and “abnormal” humans using a variety of methods
Focus on behaviours as well as mental processes (i.e., behaviourism)
Interest in motivation
Interest in human differences rather than similarities
All functionalists were influenced by William James
William James claim to fame
Father of Functionalism
Father of American psychology
What did James believe about psychology?
It should be scientific and philosophical (e.g., free will is effort of attention)
James’s book
Principles of Psychology (1890)
2 main sections of Principles of Psychology (1890)
Pragmatism
Individual differences
Pragmatism, broadly
If an idea works, it is valid
A philosophical school established by James
Principles of Psychology (1890) other sections
Entertained ideas related to religions, mysticism, psychic phenomena
Critical evaluation of Wundt’s psychology
“A microscopic psychology has arisen in Germany”
How did James describe consciousness?
Stream of consciousness
Aspects of stream of consciousness
Personal (depends on experiences)
Continuous (cannot be divided up for analysis)
Constantly changing (“flows” like a stream)
Selective (voluntary)
Functional (purposeful/adaptive)
James: Habits and instincts
Habits: instinct-like patterns of behaviour we develop through repetition (i.e., neural pathways)
Functional because they simplify movements, increase accuracy, reduce fatigue, free up attention
Empirical self
Everything that a person can call their own
3 divisions of the empirical self
Material self
Social self
Spiritual self
Material self
Extension of the self into the body, clothes, and possessions (e.g., cars and cell phones)
Social self
The self known by others (i.e., the part of the self related to group membership)
James’s quote about social selves
“A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognize him and carry an image of him in their mind”
Spiritual self
A person’s state of consciousness; experience of subjective reality
What does the spiritual self include?
Morality, emotions, personality traits, attitudes, and beliefs (e.g., extraversion, agreeableness, environmentalism)
The empirical self (i.e., self-concept) is…
Partly known and partly knower, partly object and partly subject
What did James acknowledge regarding the empirical self?
The difficulty in understanding the “self as knower/observer”
I am me
The me: a person’s constructed sense of self
The I: the observer or the seat of awareness and consciousness (pure ego/soul/spirit/transcendental ego)
Self-esteem
Ratio of things attempted (potentialities) and things achieved (actualities)
How can one achieve self-esteem?
Either by achieving more or attempting less
Who said the following quote: “To give up pretensions is as blessed a relief as to get them gratified”
James
Who said the following quote: “How pleasant is the day when we give up striving to be young - or slender! […] Everything added to the Self is a burden as well as a pride.”
James
Who said the following quote: “A certain man who lost every penny during our civil war went and actually rolled in the dust, saying he had not felt so free and happy since he was born”
James
James and emotions
Rejected idea that perception directly causes an emotion
Believed our emotions arise from what we do physically (i.e., our perceptions cause bodily reactions that are then experienced as emotions”
What was James’s advice regarding emotions?
Act the way you want to feel
According to James, how is the self related to emotions
I/observer/knower is not attached to emotions
Without the bodily states following on perception, perception would be purely cognitive
Pragmatism
Any thought, belief, or behaviour must be judged by its consequences
E.g., the idea of free will is satisfying, and therefore valid
Is truth discoverable according to James?
No, it changes according to effectiveness; a postmodernist perspective
Who said the following quote: “Rationalism sticks to logic […] Empiricism sticks to the external senses. Pragmatism is willing to take anything, to follow either logic or the senses and to count the humblest and most personal experiences […] if they have practical consequences.
James
