Foundations Of Psychology: Disciplines Of Psychology

Question 1

Who was the founding father of experimental psychology?
What were his main ideologies?

Answer 1

Willhelm Wundt
He believed that we could study mental processes empirically and he also came up with the idea of voluntarism, which is the thought that we have voluntary control over our conscious.

Question 2

Structuralism

Answer 2

Edward Titchner is mostly tied to structuralism.
He believed that mental processes could be broken down into elemental units.
He proposed that there were three most basic units: sensations, images, feelings

Question 3

Functionalism

Answer 3

William James is most tied to functionalism.
Functionalists are more concerned with why we think the way we do. They believe that there is an evolutionary component that explains why our individual brains work the way they do, meaning that every thought we have is tied to survival and every decision we make is for survival in some way
Functionalism was largely influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Question 4

Behaviourism

Answer 4

Focused and studied observable behaviour.
Behaviourism involved a lot of studies on animals as a way to draw conclusions on people’s observable behaviour.
John Watson and B.F. Skinner is most associated with behaviourism.
John Watson and other Behaviourist’s believed that the mind was a blank slate and could be influenced by experiences

Question 5

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov

Answer 5

Pavlov is a behaviourist who made his mark through salivation. By studying digestion and dogs, he came up with classical conditioning, where people or animals would associate certain objects or triggers with things such as food. For example if a bell was continuously rung right before giving someone food, they would come to associate a bell ringing with food, and maybe salivate as a expectancy for food

Question 6

John Watson

Answer 6

One of two individuals who are associated with behaviourism. He used his knowledge on behaviourism and applied it to the advertisement industry. he believed that in order for someone to be “won over” or attracted to a specific product the product itself needed to have an appealing picture

Question 7

The Law of Effect

Answer 7

If an action was followed by positive reactions, the likelihood of that action would be higher compared to an action that brought negative reactions

Edward Thorndike

Question 8

Humanism

Answer 8

came out in opposition to Freud’s negative opinions on the evils of humans.
humanism took the approach that humans are full of potential.
Maslow was the central psychologist connected to humanism and his major theory was motivation and that humans are naturally motivated creatures.
Client-centered therapy also came about from humanism

Question 9

What are the Five disciplines of psychology?

Answer 9

Biological, evolutionary, Developmental, Social, and Clinical