Chapter 9 Flashcards
How has psychology evolved since its inception?
- Introspection is no longer as prominent
- The existence of mental elements is questioned
- Debates on whether psychology should remain a pure science
- Changes involve revisions rather than outright rejection
What was John B. Watson’s main contribution to psychology?
He brought about behaviorism and challenged dominant psychological perspectives
What did John B. Watson believe about consciousness?
He believed consciousness had no value for behavioral psychology.
What did John B. Watson focus on in psychology?
Not theory, but methodology
He focused on observable actions that can be seen, heard, or touched.
What influenced John B. Watson’s behaviorism?
- Objectivism and mechanism
- Animal psychology
- Functional psychology
What was René Descartes’ philosophical influence on psychology?
He provided mechanistic explanations for human body operations and proposed Reflex Action Theory.
What is Auguste Comte known for in psychology?
Positivism, the idea that only objectively observable knowledge is valid.
What was the goal of early animal psychology?
To demonstrate the existence of the mind in animals and establish similarities to the human mind.
What challenges did early animal psychologists face?
- Lack of respect in academia
- Difficulty obtaining funding
- Poor career prospects
What is Jacques Loeb’s Tropism theory?
It is an animal behavior theory based on involuntary, automatic reactions to stimuli.
How did Jacques Loeb view consciousness in animals?
He believed associative memory revealed animal consciousness (e.g., a cat responding to its name).
Who first used a rat maze in psychology?
Willard Small
What did Charles H. Turner contribute to animal psychology?
He studied insect behavior and published an article on ant behavior in 1906.
What is Margaret F. Washburn known for?
Writing The Animal Mind (1908), the last major work using mentalistic interpretations of animal behavior.
Who was Wilhelm von Osten?
A retired teacher who attempted to teach intelligence to animals, including Clever Hans.
What was Clever Hans supposedly able to do?
- Add, subtract, and use fractions
- Read, spell, and memorize sentences
- Identify coins and play card games
How did Oskar Pfungst explain Clever Hans’ abilities?
Hans responded to subtle, unintentional cues from his owner and audience
What psychological lesson did Clever Hans’ case teach?
It showed that animals can learn and that applying an experimental approach to study behavior is important.
What was Edward Thorndike’s main area of study?
Learning theory in animals and humans
What was Thorndike’s Connectionism?
- Mechanistic, objective learning theory
- Focusing on observable behavior
Shared with structuralists and British: mechanistic, analytical and atomistic POV
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box Experiment
Observing Cats
- Cats observe other animals escaping from the box
- Compared escape times to cats who did not observe other animals
- Results:
1. No difference between the two groups
2. Noticed that after having escaped once, cats were able to escape much faster in subsequent attempts
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box Experiment 2
Hungry Cats
- Placed hungry cats inside the box
- Rewarded them with food for escaping
- Timed how long they took to escape in first and subsequent attempts
- Results:
1. Escaping was slow, accidental at first
2. On subsequent trials, random behaviors were less frequent, escape was faster
3. Once learning was complete, escape times did not improve any further
Thorndike’s Puzzle Box
Trial-and-Error Learning
- Learning based on the repetition of response tendencies that lead to success
- Unsuccessful response tendencies are eliminated
- Results in the s-shape of the learning curve
What is Thorndike’s Law of Effect?
Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to recur, while those with negative consequences are less likely.
