Coceptual and historical issues in psychology (lesson 1)

Question 1

Define Psychology

Answer 1

The application of scientific methods to study human behaviour and processes of the mind

Question 2

Which contemporary psychological questions have also occupied philosophers?

Answer 2

The Nature vs. Nurture Argument

The Mind-Body Problem

Question 3

What was Plato’s (428-347 BC) theory on nature vs. nurture?

Answer 3

That certain types of knowledge are innate (inborn)

Question 4

What is the word to describe the theory that certain types of knowledge are innate?

Answer 4

Nativism

Question 5

What was Aristotle’s (384-322 BC) theory on nature vs nurture?

Answer 5

That all knowledge is acquired through experience/ this is perhaps a more modern way of thinking

Question 6

What is the word to describe the theory that all knowledge is acquired through experience?

Answer 6

Empiricism

Question 7

What is the mind body problem?

Answer 7

The philosophical question of whether the mid is part of the body or separated from it.

Question 8

Who first formulated the mind-body problem?

Answer 8

Renes Descartes

Question 9

What did Renes Descartes believe? give the term for this.

Answer 9

That the mind and body were separate, this is known as Cartesian dualism.

Question 10

Although Descartes believed the mind and body were separate, what did he believe?

Answer 10

That they could influence each other.

Question 11

Descartes singled out the ______ gland thinking this was the locus of mind/body interaction.

Answer 11

pineal

Question 12

What was the scientific revolution?

Answer 12

When the Geocentric model of the universe was challenged by heliocentrism.

Question 13

Who tested the heliocentric model and provided evidence through their telescope observations?

Answer 13

Galileo

Question 14

Galileo’s ideas were strongly opposed by the ____

Answer 14

Roman Catholic Church

Question 15

Who explained the physical order of the universe?

Answer 15

Newton

Question 16

Why was the scientific revolution important?

Answer 16

It was the emergence of modern science during the early modern period, when developments in maths, physics, astronomy, biology and chemistry transformed views of society and nature.

Question 17

How did developments in physiology influence psychology?

Answer 17

Donders used Helmholtz’s method of measuring the speed of nerve impulses in frog legs (S=D/T) in order to measure the speed of metal processes

Question 18

Donders measured simple ____ ____ to a single stimulus and then to a subsequent task with 2 _____ but subjects had to only react to ___ stimulus.

Answer 18

Reaction Time(RT)
Stimuli
1

Question 19

On what occasion was RT longer?

Answer 19

RT was longer for the more complex “discrimination” task

Question 20

____ method provides difference between RTs and a measure of the mental act of discrimination.

Answer 20

Subtractive

Question 21

Define Mental Chronometry

Answer 21

The time taken to perform mental tasks and their components.

Question 22

Beginnings of scientific psychology in Europe:
the first psychological ___ was established by Wilhem ___, University of Leipzig 1879
what was this age known as?

Answer 22

lab
Wundt
the brass age of psychology

Question 23

What did the opening of the first lab lead to?

Answer 23

rapid establishment of numerous psychology institutes including 20 in the USA, as classes were attended by large numbers of young researchers from around the world

Question 24

Psychology is the application of the ____ method to study ____ processes

Answer 24

Scientific

Mental

Question 25

What was the aim of introspection?

Answer 25

to access psychological processes and experience directly

Question 26

what did introspection train people in?

Answer 26

self observation

Question 27

If you carefully and objectively analyse the contents of your own thoughts and feelings, what is this known as?

Answer 27

self observation

Question 28

What was introspection consistent with?

Answer 28

Descartes’ claim that mental states are more “real” than physical states and can be accessed directly through reflection

Question 29

Wundt’s introspective method is _____ and ______

Answer 29

vigorous and arduous

Question 30

Name 3 things Wundt’s introspective method required?

Answer 30

1. Long periods of time
2. Very large number of trials
3. Long period of training

Question 31

Introspective research depends on quite ____ numbers of _____ ______ participants

Answer 31

small, highly trained

Question 32

Introspective method allows ____ observation of ____ processes

Answer 32

direct, mental

Question 33

What experience is important in the introspective method?

Answer 33

subjective

Question 34

The introspective method is consistent with long intellectual tradition, emphasising the importance of ____-______

Answer 34

self-reflection

Question 35

____ of introspective method survive in some branches of psychology today

Answer 35

values

Question 36

How did the psychology of James (William James) differ from that of Wundt?

Answer 36

He emphasised practical functions of the minds, this is known as functionalism and advocated introspection as a primary means of studying mental life

Question 37

who was James influenced by?

Answer 37

Influenced by Darwins theory of evolution

Question 38

A criticism of the introspective method, what do subjective reports lack?

Answer 38

They lack objectivity and cant be independently verified. eg If 2 observers experiences differ then who is right?

Question 39

During the introspective method, what 2 activities does the subject have to do at once?

Answer 39

Both experiencing and analysing

Question 40

Many psychological functions take place below the level of ____ and are too ____ or ____ for introspection.

Answer 40

consciousness, complex, fast

Question 41

define confabulation

Answer 41

misinterpreted memories

Question 42

What 3 things are mental processes subject to a range of?

Answer 42

Biases, attributions and confabulation

Question 43

we often don’t have true ___ into our mental processes and causes of our _____

Answer 43

insight, behaviour

Question 44

name 4 subject types that introspection cannot be applied to which limits its applicability

Answer 44

children, insane people, people with language difficulties and animals

Question 45

Who’s concept of the “unconscious mind” demolishes the idea of introspection?

Answer 45

Freud’s

Question 46

What type of motives, behaviours, experiences and processes cant be assessed/accessed through introspection?

Answer 46

unconscious ones

Question 47

what is the alternative to the introspective method?

Answer 47

To study people’s behaviour, not their mental states

Question 48

Human testimony is ____, ____ and incapable of _____. It lacks scientific ____.

Answer 48

unreliable, unverifiable, quantification, rigour

Question 49

What does behaviourism propose?

Answer 49

That psychology is about understanding, explaining and predicting people’s behaviour, therefore the subject matter of psychology should be behaviour.

Question 50

Unlike subjective experience (introspection), behaviour is ______ and ______.

Answer 50

Objective, measurable

Question 51

What type of methods can be used to investigate behaviour?

Answer 51

Scientific methods

Question 52

What is behaviourism influenced by?

Answer 52

Studies of animal learning

Question 53

The behavioural approach has remained at the ____ of psychological enquiry ever since.

Answer 53

heart

Question 54

Define Behaviourism

Answer 54

The theory that animal and human behaviour is best explained in terms of conditioning, without appeal to thoughts or feelings.

Question 55

what does behaviourism strongly oppose?

Answer 55

Mentalism