Chapter 7 - Functionalism Flashcards
1
Q
Was Herbert Spencer famous?
A
- Yes
- Darwin called him “our philosopher”
- One of the most prolific writers of the time
- Writings were included in popular magazines
- 1882: Arrived in America to great fanfare
- Was very neurotic and mentally ill
2
Q
What’s Spencer’s life story?
A
- Born in Derby, England, and tutored by his school master father and uncle
- No formal post-secondary education
- Age 17, started working for a railroad, for the next 10 years
- Became a journalist, junior editor of “The Economist”, and then a freelance writer
- Inspired by John Stuart Mill (i.e., writings of British empiricists)
- Friends with Huxley and other intellectuals
3
Q
What was Spencer’s view of evolution?
A
- Coined ‘survival of the fittest’ in 1852
- Early follower of Lamarck and Darwin
- Views on evolution:
- Saw evolution being applied to animals, human behaviour, and human societies
- Suggested our nervous system evolved (humans will act in ways conducive to survival and avoid behaviours that are not
- Through this lens, saw human perfection as inevitable
4
Q
What are the main principles of Social Darwinism?
A
- System of philosophy that brought Herbert Spencer acclaim
- Development of all aspects of the universe is evolutionary, including human character and social institutions
- In a free society, the fittest will survive
- No interference, minimal government regulation, laissez-faire economics
- People who are not fit to survive die out and the “best society” will remain
- It was mentioned repeatedly by American businessmen
5
Q
Why was social darwinism so big in America?
A
- Very compatible with American values and individualistic spirit
- Free enterprise, self-sufficiency, indepedence from government regulation, pioneer spirit, land for the taking
6
Q
What was Spencer’s synthetic philosophy?
A
- Synthetic = synthesizing/combining, not fake or artificial
- Idea that knowledge and experience ca be explained in terms of evolutionary principles (outlined in 10 books between 1860 and 1867)
- 2 volumes became “The Principles of Psychology” (this was used by William James)
7
Q
Who was the driver of the idea of mechanical evolution?
A
- Samuel Butler - an English writer, friend of Darwin
- Proposed that mechanical evolution is the struggle to create new machines and gain some competitive advantage
- A similar process to human evolution
- Evolve to become more efficient
8
Q
Who was Herman Hollerith?
A
- Engineer who invented a new way of processing information
- It was driven by necessity, so that the US census can be more efficient
- Dramatically shortened time to complete the 1890 US census
- Started the company that would later become IBM
- Example of mechanical evolution
9
Q
T/F: William James found functional psychology.
A
- FALSE
- Didn’t found functional psychology, but presented his own theories within the framework
10
Q
What’s William James’ life story?
A
- Born to a wealthy family in New York (dad second richest man in America)
- His younger brother Henry James would become a famous novelist
- His father prescribed to a fringe Christian theology
- As a child, James attended schools in numerous European countries (was sent abroad when he felt poorly)
- Enjoyed a life of travel and intellectual stimulation
- Pursued a career as an artist at 18 but wasn’t very good, so went into chemistry
- Left med school and travelled to Brazil to do some field work but didn’t like it/got sick
- Recovered in Germany, began reading philosophy, read Wundt’s work, attended Helmholtz lectures
- Returned to Harvard and got his med degree
- Continued to suffer from depression
- Actually committed himself to an asylum
- Turning point: read an essay by Charles-Bernard Renouvier on free will
- Offered a job at Harvard and started his own pedagogical psychology lab
- Never took a formal course in psychology, the 1st lecture he attended was his own
11
Q
What does neurasthenia refer to?
A
- A nerve disorder popular among the American upper classes
- Sometimes referred to as “Americanitis”
- Caused by working way too hard
12
Q
What was William James’ family life like?
A
- In 1878, married Alice Howe Gibbens, chosen by his father
- Was ‘unsettled’ after their children were born, left for venice for a year after their second child was born
- Wrote Alice telling her he fell in love with an Italian woman
- Told her she should not resent him for it
- They stayed married, but he would frequently fall in love with other women
- Alice was not impressed with his flirtatious nature, but appears to have tolerated it
- He died peacefully in her arms
13
Q
What was the ordeal concerning James’ textbook he wrote?
A
- Convinced by Henry Holt to write a textbook
- Took him 12 years to write
- Aged 48, in 1890 it was completed
- James was dissatisfied with it, disgusted by the sight of the book
- Thought it was way too long
- Wold have cut it in half if he had more time
14
Q
What were the reactions to James’ textbook?
A
- Wundt thought it was well-written but did not consider it psychology
- Titchener was also highly critical as were others trained at Leipzig
- However, most other psychologists of the day reacted favourably
- Became the dominant psychology text for several decades. Finally a good text for undergraduate students
15
Q
What did James do after he published his book?
A
- Nothing left to say about psychology
- Turned his attention toward philosophy
- Recruited Hugo Munstenberg to take over his lab at Harvard where he focused on more applied psychology to address real-world problems
- James became America’s leading philosopher
16
Q
Why was “The Principles” so important?
A
- Lays the groundwork for Functionalism in that psychology should focus on people and the environment
- Evolution can then be incorporated
- 3 reasons for James’ influence: clear and magnetic writing style; directly opposed Wundt; an alternative viewpoint of psychology
17
Q
What was William James’ view of consciousness?
A
- Thought that conscious experiences are not a collection of elements
- Simple sensations are just a convoluted inference and these individual elements cannot exist independently
18
Q
What was James’ stream of consciousness?
A
- Thought that consciousness is a continually flowing process
- Any attempts to reduce to elements will distort it
- The mind is selective, we can only pay attention to fragments of experiences at a time
- Mind selects the most relevant information (doing so allows us to make logical conclusions)
- Function is the purpose of consciousness
19
Q
What was James’ major method of psychological investigation?
A
- James acknowledged the necessity of introspection but it still has limitations
- Developed the ‘comparative method’ as a compliment. Compare functioning between groups, ages, and even animals
- Needed multiple forms of data
20
Q
What’s at the heart of functionalism?
A
- Pragmatism - the doctrine that the validity of idea is measured by their practical consequences
21
Q
What were the two types of personalities developed by William James?
A
- Tender-minded - rational, optimistic, religious, but believe in free will
- tough-minded - fact focused, pessimistic, non-religious, less inclined toward free will
22
Q
What was James’ theory of emotions?
A
- Contradicted current thinking about the nature of emotional states (ex. angry dog, we are afraid, so we run)
- Thought the arousal of the physical response precedes the appearance of the emotion
- Later leads to the “james-Lange theory of emotions”
- Ex. Angry dog, we run, then we are afraid because of the physiological response
23
Q
What was James’ three-part self?
A
- Material - everyhting unique that a person calls their own (i.e. clothes). Thought clothing was important for self-expression, had an eclectic style
- Social - recognition we get from others
- Spiritual - our inner and subjective being (i.e., everything we think and feel)
24
Q
What was James thoughts regarding habits?
A
- All creatures are a ‘bundle of habits’
- Formed and strengthened when an activity is repeated
- Influence of physiological influences
- Repetitive or habitual actions involve the nervous system (seen today)
- Serve to increase the plasticity of neural matter (behaviour changing brain structure)
- Habits have enormous social implications and they keep us within the bounds of ordinance
25
Q
What were William James overall contributions to psychology?
A
- Incorporated evolution into psychology
- A departure from structuralism and Wundt
- A functional psychology that lead to other schools of psychology
- Encourage a broad range of topics.ideas
- Influenced numerous students at Harvard
- A textbook to rally behind
26
Q
What’s the life story of Mary Whiton Calkins?
A
- Raised in Buffalo, New York and in Massachusetts
- Graduated from Smith College in 1885
- Began teaching at Wellesley college
- Needed someone to teach experimental psychology, arranged for her to train for a year
- James agreed but Harvard’s president said no (very sexist)
- James and several others convince him to allow Calkins to attend graduate classes
- Male students withdrew from classes as a result
- Also did research at Clark university under Edmund C. Sanford
- Presented findings at the first APA meeting in 1892
- Later worked under Munsterberg
27
Q
What was the general arc of Mary Whiton Calkins career?
A
- Harvard refused her a PhD because she was a woman (even though it was brilliant work)
- Chose to decline marriage in order to pursue her research
- Established a psychology lab in 1891
- Published 4 books and over 100 articles
- Became the first woman president of the APA in 1905
- Retired from Wellesley in 1929, died a year later
28
Q
Who developed the paired-associate technique?
A
- Mary Whiton Calkins developed it while working with Munsterberg
- Designed to study frequency and vividness of memories in the lab
1) Colours paired with numbers
2) Several pairings shown
3) Colours shown alone, participants asked for the paired numbers - Still commonly used in memory research
29
Q
What was the variability hypothesis?
A
- A widely accepted idea during the time
- The notion that men show a wider range and variation of physical/mental development than women (ex. intelligence)
- Thought this was validated through methods testing where physical strength was also a determinant of mental capacity
- The abilities of women are seen as more ‘average’
- Thought that education beyond basic schooling would do ‘emotional damage’
30
Q
Who contested the variability hypothesis?
A
- Mary Whiton Calkins
31
Q
What’s the life story of Helen Woolley?
A
- Born in Chicago in 1874
- Family that valued education, all three daughters attended university
- Described as brilliant by John Dewey, who taught her at the University of Chicago
- Director of her own lab at Mount Holyoke College
- Married Paul Woolley (a physician), moved to the Philippines
- In 1908, became a director with public school system in Ohio
- Had influence on the state’s labor laws (kids were working 10 hour days, 6 days a week)
- 1924, became director of the Institute of Child Welfare Research at Columbia university
- Worked for 30 years as a teacher and researcher
32
Q
What was the main research topic of Helen Woolley?
A
- Her doctoral dissertation was the first experimental test of the Darwinian notion that women were biologically inferior to men
Results: - No sex differences in emotional functioning and non-significant differences in intellectual abilities. Women were slightly superior to men in memory and sensory perception
- Attributed differences to social and environmental factors (i.e., childrearing)
33
Q
What’s the life story of Leta Hollingworth?
A
- Born in Nebraska in relative poverty
- Raised by her grandparents, then removed by father and stepmother
- Enrolled at the University of Nebraska
- Married Harry Hollingworth in 1908, moved with him to New York where he was hired as a psychology instructor. Leta had a hard time finding work as a married women in New York
- Able to assist her husband in his research on caffeine in Coke (the company was having major backlash for having cocaine in their product)
- Enrolled as a graduate student at Columbia, took courses from Thorndike
- After he PhD, worked as a psychologist for the civil service in New York
- Active role in the women’s suffrage movement
- Died at 53 from stomach cancer
34
Q
- What research topic did Leta report on extensively?
A
- Conducted extensive empirical research on the variability hypothesis
- Her data refuted the variability hypothesis and other notions of female inferiority (ex. the menstrual cycle was not related to performance deficits)
- Challenged the concept of an innate instinct for motherhood
- Also challenged the belief that women were not as intelligent as men
- Also encouraged women to have career aspirations and advocated for women’s suffrage
35
Q
Who termed “gifted” children?
A
- Leta Hollingworth
36
Q
What’s the life story of G. Stanley Hall?
A
- Born on a farm in Ashfield, Massachusetts in 1844 (demanding father)
- 1863, studied Scottish common sense philosophy at Williams College
- Afterwards, studied theology but realized he had little interest in the clergy (preached for just 10 weeks). Interest in evolution
- Then spent some time in Germany studying philosophy, and having fun
- Taught languages and philosophy at Antioch College in Ohio (also a librarian)
- Read Wundt’s Principle of Physiological Psychology
- In 1876, became an instructor of English at Harvard, became friends wth James
- Conducted research in the medical school, completed the first psychology dissertation in the US
- Left again for Europe, studied under Wundt and became friends with Fechner (he did not follow Wundt’s methods)
- Returned to the US and was unemployed
- Began giving lectures on teh psychology of children
- Invited by Harvard to give a series of lectures, this led to a lecturer position at Johns Hopkins University
- At 1883, he established the first formal american psychology lab
- 1887, founded the American Journal of Psychology
- 1888, became the president of the newly created Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts
37
Q
What was Stanley Hall’s time like at Clark University?
A
- Left for Europe to recruit for Clark (his biography suggests a lot of his time was spent doing other things)
- Goal was to mold Clark into the German model emphasizing research and teaching (a research powerhouse)
- As president, also created two new journals including the journal of applied psychology
- Instrumental in founding the American Psychological Association in 1892
- Spent 36 years at Clark and graduated 81 doctorates in the psychology department
- Known for hosting hours long and grueling graduate student seminars
- Regularly admitted women and faculty at Clark
- Also encouraged students from other ethnic groups and countries
- Cecil Sumner, first African American PhD in psychology
38
Q
What happened for the 20th anniversary of Clark University?
A
- Hall became interested in Freud’s work
- Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Sandor Ferenczi sailed to the US
- Freud delivered five lectures (labelled a “dirty, filthy man” by some, others were highly impressed)
- Hall stated “everything in the university centered around Freudianism”
39
Q
Why were people either disgusted or impressed with Freud’s lectures made at Clark University?
A
- Disgusted by the extent he was talking about sexuality at the time
- Impressed by the fact that he applied his understanding of the unconscious to understanding mental illness at the time
40
Q
Which was one of the first American universities to present Freud as a speaker?
A
- Clark University in 1909
41
Q
What were some of the other notable attendees at Clark University’s 20th anniversary speaker series?
A
- G. Stanley Hall
- Sigmund Freud
- Carl Jung
- William James
- E. B., Titchener
42
Q
What did G. Stanley Hall end up doing in his later years?
A
- Lived with bipolar disorder
- WOuld return to his farm, and roll down a hill in the nude, like he did in childhood. Said it helped his mental health - The first APA president, then served a second term near the end of his life
- Died at the age of 80
- Friendship with James ended in his later years (criticized by James as difficult, petty, and untrustworthy
43
Q
What were the major “firsts” the Hall did as a psychologist?
A
- First American PhD in psychology
- First American student in the first year of the first psychology lab
- Began what is often considered to be the first psychology journal
- Was the first president of Clark University
- One of the first applied psychologists
44
Q
What were Hall’s general thoughts on evolution?
A
- Was fully engaged in evolutionary explanations
- Argued that evolution, not physics, should be the foundation for all of science
- Once introduced as the ‘Darwin of the mind’
- Became fascinated with humans and animal development
- His goal was to apply psychology to the functioning of children
45
Q
What was Hall’s recapitulation theory?
A
- Children in their personal development repeat the lfe history of the human race
- Evolving from infancy to childhood to rational human being
- The “Adolescence” book became controversial because of focus on sex (people called him a madman)
- Thorndike stated his disapproval
- Started talk on this topic at Clark and wouldn’t weren’t allowed to attend because of the content matter
46
Q
Who kind of started the field of adolescent psychology?
A
- G. Stanley Hall
- Published “Adolescence”
47
Q
What were Hall’s thoughts regarding co-education?
A
- Had an opposition to co-education
- Suggested that the genders have different trajectories and need to be separated (or else they will get distracted)
- Inhibition of sexual desire leads to a better society (“powerful feelings, checked and redirected, erotic energy converted to mental energy”)
48
Q
T/F: Functionalism was intentionally started.
A
- FALSE
- Functionalism was not started intentionally
- Began as a protest against the restrictions and limitations of Wundt’s version of psychology and of Titchener’s structuralism
- No single form to functionalism
49
Q
What does functionalism place emphasis on?
A
- Mental functions: look at real-world problems
- How people function in, and adapt to, different environments (this eventually developed into clinical psychology)
50
Q
In addition to James, which two other psychologists contributed to the “founding” of functionalism, often termed the “Chicago School”?
A
- John Dewey
- James Rowland Angell
51
Q
What’s the life story of John Dewey?
A
- Born in Burlington, Vermont in 1859
- Had a normal childhood
- Eventually entered graduate school at Johns Hopkins University and received his PhD in 1884
- Became a professor at the University of Minnesota, then chair at the University of Michigan
- 1894, moved to the University of Chicago where he spent 10 years
- Founded a laboratory focused on radical innovation in education
- Was very progressive in his child-rearing techniques
- Eventually moved on to Columbia University
- Described as brilliant but boring (long lectures)
52
Q
Which psychologist let his kids call hm by his first name?
A
- John Dewey
53
Q
Who promoted the idea of practical orientation? What is it?
A
- John Dewey
- Applying psychology to educational/philosophical problems
54
Q
What was Dewey’s Reflex arc?
A
- Dewey argued that neither behaviour nor conscious experience could be reduced to elements (in contrast to Wundt)
- Any unit of behaviour ends with the response to a stimulus, which is modified by the stimulus
- The reflex arc forms more of a circle than an arc
55
Q
What’s an example of the reflex arc?
A
- Eg. Flame & child
- Approach flame but then pull hand back
- Response has altered the child’s perception
- Stimulus (flame) response (pain) are a unit
- Demonstrates why the entire experience of learning is important (i.e., can’t be broken down into units)
56
Q
What’s the life story of James Rowland Angell?
A
- Born into an academic family in Vermont
- Studied under Dewey at the University of Michigan
- Was influenced by James’s “The Principles of Psychology”
- Studied in Berlin, attending lectures by Ebbinghais and Helmholtz
- Wished to study with Wundt, but he wasn’t taking students
- Never actually completed a PhD, but was still offered a faculty appointment at the University of Minnesota Would end up receiving 23 honorary degrees)
- A year later, accepted a position at the University of Chicago
- Worked there for 25 years, and then became President of Yale University
- 15th president of the APA
- Friendly and likeable person
57
Q
What was significant about Angell’s textbook “Psychology”?
A
- It embodied the functionalist approach
- Was very successful, with four editions in four years
- Goal of psychology: study how the mind assists the organism in adjusting to its environment, which can help improve the organism
58
Q
What were the three major themes of the functionalist movement?
A
1) The psychology of mental operations (not elements, Wundt was too simplistic)
2) The psychology of the fundamental utilities of consciousness (rationale was this since consciousness has survived, it must serve a purpose)
3) The psychology of psychophysical relations (mind-body relations)
59
Q
Who were two major contributors to the functionalist movement at Columbia?
A
- James McKeen Cattell: work on mental tests embodied the American functionalist spirit
- E. L. Thorndike: research on problems of animal learning reinforced the functionalist trend toward greater objectivity
60
Q
What’s the life story of Robert Woodworth?
A
- Born in Belchertown, Massachusetts in 1869
- Father was a minister
- Attended Amherst college
- After reading James’s Principles, attended Harvard to study in the psychological lab
- Moved to Columbia to complete his PhD under Cattell
- Spent most of his career at Columbia
61
Q
What was Woodworth’s dynamic psychology?
A
- Concerned with the influence of causal factors and motivations on feelings and behaviour (i.e., consciousness and behaviour)
- Emphasized physiological events underlying behaviour more than the Chicago school (cause and effect relationships)
- Introduced: S-O-R (stimulus-organism-response)
62
Q
What did Woodworth think the goal of psychology should be?
A
- To determine why people behave as they do.
63
Q
What were some of the major criticisms of functionalism?
A
- Came mostly from those in structuralism
- Thought that any approach that deviated from introspection could not be called psychology
- Criticisms of the functional psychologists’ interest in practical concerns (practical application is very important today)
- Ongoing dispute between psychology as a pure or as an applied science
64
Q
What were some of the consequences that came from switching to a functionalist approach in psychology?
A
- Research on animal behaviour
- Studies of infants, children, and people with mental disabilities
- Data obtained from other methods (i.e., mental tests, questionnaires, and objective descriptions of behaviour)
- By 1930, the functional victory was complete (Wundt and Titchener died in 1920 and 1927 as well)
- BIGGEST FUNCTIONALIST CONTRIBUTION = APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY TO REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS!
