History and Theory of Psych Midterm Flashcards
What is Historiography?
Techniques and principles used in historical research
1.Lost or suppressed data
2.Data distorted in translation
3.self-serving Data
What issues have historians faced in dealing with their subjects?
Subjective opinions through introspection
What are Paradigms?
Thomas Kuhn
Paradigms reflect set of fundamental beliefs that guide researchers
Periods occur in which new paradigms emerge and old ones diminish
How do paradigms influence the subject matter of a discipline?
paradigms influence the subject matter of a discipline by holding different beliefs regarding the approaches and what is being attended to.
The CPA started what in favor of women in Psychology
in 1975 the CPA created a task force on the status of women; addressing 4 primary issues:
-Status of women in psy
-education and training in psy for women
-Sex bias in Psychological research
-Psychological services for women
What is the difference between the old and the new history of psychology
- Traditional history: “Scientist as objective fact finder, neutral observer”
- New History: “Scientists as subjective, influenced by various factors”
Consider the sources Darwin drew on when creating the theory of evolution
Galapagos islands, birds, his knowledge of Artificial Selection
Fechner and 3 different methods of making psychophysical measurement
- Method of Just noticeable differences, Can be used to measure both the absolute threshold and the differential threshold
- Method of right and wrong cases; Also known as method of constant Stimuli because it relies on a set of pre selected stimuli that vary in magnitude
- Method of Average Error: Variable stimulus is under the control of the observer and is not varied by the experimenter
What are psychophysics
The Study of the relationship between the perception of a stimulus event and the physical dimensions of the stimulus being perceived
Psy component: Perception
Physical: Physical dimensions
Fechner in the context of his panphysical mysticism
Fechner’s panpsychism originated from a mystical experience which came at the end of his mental breakdown.
Describe the main contributions and limitations of notable individuals responsible for bringing psychology to the forefront
Wundt and James
Founders of psychology as a science and academic discipline that was distinct from philosophy
Differentiate between structuralist and functionalist views of psychology
Structuralism is the interpretation of the perception of the world through our senses, and understanding our environment. focuses on consciousness and perception.
Functionalism focuses on why human behavior changes.
Compare different psychologists conceptualizations and applications of introspection
Wundt Believed that consciousness has two parts: Sensation and Affection
Titchener believed consciousness has three parts: Sensation, affection and images
Kulpe (Wurzburgers) Opposition: Believed it was a form of observation after experiences occurred, notion of imageless thoughts.
Why did Wundt distinguish between experimental and cultural psychology?
He established the precedent that at least two kinds of method are necessary in psychology
-Lab based experiments, for simple psychological phenomena
-The other method involved naturalistic observation and was suited to the exploration of psychological processes as they are influenced by social and cultural factors
Outline the content of Wundt’s experimental psychology?
He focused on 3 areas of mental functioning: Thoughts images and feelings
Used experimental methods to find the basic building blocks (Structures) and how they interacted.
Tridimensional Theory of Feeling WUNDT
He believed that emotion was a central aspect of all psychological processes
Feelings vary along three dimensions
Excitement and depression
Pleasant and Unpleasant
Describe the contributions of Darwin
Influence of Evolutionary Theory; Implied Psychologists had to study people through Genetic and Phylogenetic development
Who were the Wurzburgers and why did Wundt find their Work so Unsettling
Kulpe and the wurzburgers disagreed with Wundt on Introspection. He found this unsettling because Wundt did not believe that anything but elementary mental processes could be studied by the experimental method
From Titchener’s Viewpoint, why should structure take precedence over function in psychology
1.Structure must precede function
2. We know the structure of mind through introspection
3.Basic sensations accompanied by images and affect are the building blocks of the mind
4. Basic sensations permit higher-order processes of attention, perception, and associative memory, and eventually more abstract complex ideas and thought
Dominant Schools of thought in new Psychology
Structuralism and functionalist views as dominant schools of thought
Kulpe on Introspection
Form of observation after experienced occurred
Notion of Imageless thoughts
Determining tendencies as giving thinking a direction
Kants domains of reality
The noumenal world: External World; The things that exist in a pure state
The Phenomenal World: Internal World; Subjective’ly experienced
Gottfried Willhelm leibniz
Monadology
Monads are the elements that make up mental and physical reality
Monadology: Leibniz
Principles:
Rational (Conscious, ability to perceive)
Sentients (found in all living things, Ability to reason)
Simple: (All different nomads that make up physical reality)
John Locke
Empiricist
Believed Ideas are not innate
John Locke Two sources of Ideas
Sensations and reflections
Understanding is the product of our experiences
Tabula RASA
Humans are born with no real knowledge
Leibniz theory on the mind
Argues the mind is not blank (counter to empiricist) view)
Leibniz on Parallelism
Psych(mind) and body(physical) work in parallel (Pre established harmony)
MIND and Body separate working together, study separately
Monadology Levels of Awareness
Apperception (highest level of awareness)
Perception (awareness of something, not as sharp)
Petites Perception (Below the level of awareness, but critical to enable higher levels of Perception)
Philosophy of the Mind
Soul in the Brain
Soul is rational, unified and a singular structure for reason
Yet the brain is so divided
Pineal Gland (Singular structure) The common Sense
Renee Descartes: Nativist and Rationalist
Nativist: Innate ideas exist pre-experience
Rationalist: Mind separate from sensory experiences
Define Rationalism
Reason is the source of knowledge
The mind has an innate capacity to organize information from the senses
Senses are not sufficient for knowledge
Nativism
Concept that some knowledge is innate
Empiricism
Knowledge is acquired through experience
Philosophies of the Mind Body Problem
Monism
Dualism
Define Monism
One fundamental reality
One perfectly interconnected world
Materialism in Monism
Materialism: all real thngs are composed of matter
mental activity is reduced to physical, chemical or physiological processes
Examples; Pavlov, Helmholtz, Watson
Idealism in Monism
Emphasizes the mind
Mental experience is all that matters
Only reality we have access to is our mental reality
Examples; Plato, Leibniz, Berkeley, Fechner
Dualism
Existence of two realities Mind and Body
Interactionism in Dualism
Mental and physical events are real
Mental events influence other mental events and body events
Body events influence other body and mental events
Psychophysical Parallelism in Dualism
Mental events and physical events are real
Mental events influence other mental events
Physical events influence other physical events
Big P and Little p
Big P: recognizes the formal, institutionalized discipline of psych (academia, journals, academic societies)
Little p: Recognizes psych as subject matter (Peoples thoughts, feelings)
What is Reflectivity?
Confounding between an agent and an object of study in psy
The examination of ones own beliefs and judgment during the research process, and how these influence the research.
What factors are the differences in choosing methodology?
Factors outside of Psychology affect;
The definition and type of psychology
The type of knowledge generated
How is knowledge received
Models for conducting Research
The Leipzig Model: The experimenter as a subject too
Equal status between experimenter and subject
The Paris Model: Experiment is in control
Subject receives treatment of Manipulation
Edward G Boring
Wrote most influential modern history of psychology
Borings two approaches:
The person
The Zeitgeist
Boring’s Approach: The person
The role of the individual as a creative person in moving shaping history
History based on the contributed to the history of psychology and its direction
Borings approach: The zeitgeist
“Spirit of the times”
The cultural context in which the contribution takes place
Prevailing ideologies, social forces, socioeconomic situations can be influential
Discuss the role of Feminism and the psychology of Women in Promoting the social-constructionist approach to psychology?
Social - Constructionist approach argues that gender is socially constructed through conditioning orchestrated by patriarchy
Black Psychology
at APA convention, the Association was formed (Association of Black Psychologists)
Black Psychology
In the 1970’s Africentrally- principled discourses and spiritual rejuvenation
Fechner and Parallelism
Fechner Assumed that there was an intimate relationship between consciousness (the mental) and events in the nervous system (Physical) “A strict Parallelism exists between soul and body in such a way that from one, properly understood, the other can be constructed”
Structuralism
Based on Wundt, and formalized by Titchener, uses analytical introspection to reduce complex mental states to elemental processes that appear in consciousness
Colour Theory
Philosophy of Psychology
Concerned with the history and foundations of psychology. Deals with both epistemological and ontological issues
Three major philosophical issues in psychology
Free Will vs Determinism
Dualism vs Monism
Nature vs Nurture
