early psychology in the US Flashcards
what is positivism?
authentic knowledge only comes from scientific method
what is the experimental method of positivism?
observation and description
what is the positivist view on phenomena?
there is a single set of phenomena underlying everything
how are experiences described under positivism?
interactions at an atomic level in the brain
how does positivism describe psychology?
psychology is dependent on the biological system
what is titchener’s theory?
structuralism
what is structuralism?
consciousness is the sum total of mental experiences at any given moment
what does structuralism say about the self?
there is no self
what does titchener say about apperception?
apperception is an observed interaction, not a mental process
what does titchener say about clearer sensations?
clearer sensations have been attended to
does titchener look for correlation or causation?
correlation
what is titchener’s 3 step method for studying mental events?
- catalogue mental elements via introspection
- determine how elements passively combine
- find neurological correlates of mental events
what view does titchener take?
titchener is a positivist
what view does titchener take?
titchener is a positivist
what view does titchener take?
titchener is a positivist
what view does titchener take?
titchener is a positivist
how do you catalogue mental events?
divide mental experience until you can go no further, look for atoms of experience
when do you achieve a mental element?
when a mental event can be divided no further
what does titchener say about ‘real’ experience?
there is a real experience beoynd human experience, where there are only sensations
what was titchener’s legacy?
he was mostly ignored, there was no fuctional/practical value for structuralism
what are the 3 things william james said psychology has to do to become a natural science?
- abandon questions about the soul
- assume there are states of mind that are aware of the physical world
- assume a physical world exists
what was titchener’s view on consciousness?
consciousness constitutes of distinct elements, defined by quality, clearness etc
what was james’ view on consciousness?
there is a flowing stream of consciousness, transitions between items are of central importance
what did james say about consciousness’ role in survival?
consciousness is crucial for survival, helping people cope with environmental changes
