First Movements

Question 1

University reform in Germany

Answer 1

The defeat of the Holy Roman Empire was a pivotal point.
New systems and models for universities were developed; academics were given freedom and were well resourced.

Question 2

Three social factors made the growth of experimental psychology

Answer 2

1. Academic rather than amateur role for philosophers and physiologists.
2. Better job opportunities in philosophy vs physiology; encouraging mobilisation of experts between fields.
3. High academic standing in physiology; empirical methods from physiology were applied to philosophical research.

Question 3

Wundt

Answer 3

Founded the first lab of scientific psychology in Leipzig, 1879.
Methods he used included:
1. Psychophysical methods.
2. Reaction times.
3. Accuracy of reproduction in memory tasks.

Question 4

Analytic introspection

Answer 4

Developed by Wundt - experiences and thought processes elicited by stimuli presented under controlled conditions.

Question 5

Historical method

Answer 5

Studying the human mind by investigating the products of human culture.
Well suited to investigate ‘higher’ functions of the mind eg development.
Aka folk psychology.
Pioneering for anthropology; the study of cultures and society.

Question 6

Hermann von Helmholtz

Answer 6

Proposed theories of object perception, colour vision and hearing.
Theory of unconscious inference - some perceptions are the result of unconscious assumptions that we make about the environment; past experiences with objects may impact our perceptions.

Question 7

James’s Principles of Psychology

Answer 7

Most influential textbook in psychology.
Strongly influenced by evolutionary theory.
Functionalism - examined the practical functions of the human mind inspired by Darwin’s evolutionary theory.
Precise content of the mind, less important than what consciousness did, what functions it served (emphasis on survival).

Question 8

Titchener’s Structuralism

Answer 8

Attempt to discover the structure of the human mind using introspection.

Question 9

Limits of Titchener’s Structuralism

Answer 9

1. Introspection did not intuitively give rise to the experience of elementary sensations.
2. Many more psychologists were interested in functionalism: How could psychology advance the conditions of individuals and society?
3. Gestalt psychology (‘school’ of thought) - the human mind could not be understood by breaking down the experiences into their constituent elements; perception is more than the sensation of stimuli, it involves organisation.

Question 10

Neurologists

Answer 10

Over 19th century, biological view of mental illness became important. Discovery of microbe that caused syphilis.
New group of physicians (neurologists) milder forms of mental illness, “nervous disorders”.

Question 11

Three revolutions in human thought

Answer 11

1. Copernicus - the earth is not the centre of the universe.
2. Darwin - humans are not special, they are just a species like any other animal.
3. Freud - humans are not motivated only by conscious thoughts but also by unconscious motives.

Question 12

Freud

Answer 12

One of the first to form a new group of therapists at end of 19th century. Before, first treatment, informal basis; second, and increasingly, institutions, treated as prisoners or patients. Basic treatment in asylums consisted of containment and attempts to “re-educate” the patients.
One of the first to actually talk to his patients (psychological treatment). On the basis of these talks, he constructed psychoanalytic theory—argues that the unconscious mind plays a strong role in determining behaviour.

Question 13

USA turn of 20th century

Answer 13

Scientific psychology expanded rapidly in the USA: many labs were established at universities, the APA was founded, and two important journals were initiated.
Led to functionalism.
Phrenology — mental functions are localised in the brain, and that capacity corresponds to the size of this part of the brain.
Mesmerism — Mesmer, claims – cure patients by restoring ‘animal magnetism’.
Spiritualism — spirits of the dead could be contacted by mediums.

Question 14

Anthropomorphic interpretation

Answer 14

Interpreting behaviour of non-human living creatures by attributing human motives and human-like intelligence to them.

Question 15

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

Answer 15

Responses that produce a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation.
Responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation.

Question 16

Thorndike introduced a couple of new concepts

Answer 16

Law of effect — behaviours followed by positive consequences are strengthened and more likely to be repeated.
Instrumental conditioning — learning on the basis of the law of effect; (called operant condition by Skinner).

Question 17

Comparative psychology

Answer 17

Study of behaviour of animals, usually with the intention to shed light on human functioning within the framework of the evolutionary theory.

Question 18

The big five

Answer 18

Commonly voiced picture of the beginnings of psychology - five ‘warring’ schools: structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt psychology, behaviourism and psychoanalysis.
Does not reflect history, rather a simplification, expressing the origins of psychology as a theses, antitheses and syntheses.