History of psychology part 2 summed up Flashcards
What societal changes in the early 20th century influenced the development of psychology?
Psychology adapted to societal demands, such as compulsory schooling, military selection, and industrial needs, driving the study of individual differences and the measurement of human capabilities.
How did psychology contribute to shaping the school environment?
Psychology developed tools to measure children’s abilities, leading to classification systems that placed students in classrooms based on their academic levels.
What psychological approaches were used to improve learning in schools?
Behaviorist methods, such as rewards and punishments, were implemented to enhance learning and discipline.
What role did psychology play in the military?
It created methods to assess candidates’ physical and mental abilities to select the best individuals for specific military roles.
What are the two opposing views about the origins of individual differences in psychology?
Innatism: Traits and abilities are genetically inherited.
Environmentalism: Traits and abilities are shaped by environmental factors.
Who was Sir Francis Galton, and what was his main area of focus in psychology?
Galton was an English scientist and psychologist who focused on individual differences, particularly the study of intelligence and heredity.
What concept is Sir Francis Galton credited with introducing?
Galton introduced the concept of eugenics, emphasizing the selective breeding of humans to improve hereditary traits.
How did Galton contribute to the study of intelligence?
He pioneered the measurement of intelligence through early psychometric tests and statistical methods.
He considered that everything was measurable.
What statistical technique did Galton develop that is widely used today?
Galton developed “regression to the mean” and contributed to the foundation of correlation analysis.
How did Galton study individual differences?
He used anthropometric measurements, such as height, reaction time, and sensory acuity, to study variations among individuals
What tools or methods did Galton invent for his research?
Galton invented the Galton whistle for auditory testing and introduced the use of questionnaires to collect data on psychological traits
How did Galton’s work influence the field of psychology?
His emphasis on heredity and statistical methods laid the groundwork for modern psychometrics and the study of intelligence.
What controversial aspect is associated with Galton’s work?
Galton’s advocacy for eugenics has been criticized for its ethical implications and misuse in social policies.
Was Galton Darwins cousin?
Yes
What are some of Francis Galton’s major contributions to measurement?
Invented the weather map and introduced terms like high and low pressure and weather fronts.
Demonstrated that fingerprints could uniquely identify individuals, a method now used globally in law enforcement.
Discovered that the human ear loses its ability to perceive high-frequency waves with age.
Conducted a study to determine in which country the most beautiful women were found.
Measured the degree of boredom experienced during scientific conferences.
How did Francis Galton define intelligence?
Galton believed intelligence was based on sensitive acuity and considered it largely inherited. He used the rate of eminence (achievements and recognition) as a measure of high intellectual capacity.
What were Galton’s findings in Hereditary Genius (1869), and what project did he propose from it?
In Hereditary Genius, Galton concluded that the offspring of illustrious (famous, accomplished, or highly respected) individuals are more likely to be illustrious than the general population. Based on this, he proposed Eugenics, a project aimed at improving hereditary traits through selective breeding.
What was the basis of Galton’s Selective Descent project?
The project was based on Darwin’s theory of evolution and emphasized intelligence as a fundamental marker of individual differences.
How was Galton’s Selective Descent project received?
Galton proposed that governments subsidize the project, but it was rejected by all. Even his cousin, Charles Darwin, called him a fool for the idea
What was Galton’s stance in the nature versus nurture debate?
Galton argued that high intelligence was primarily due to hereditary factors but acknowledged that it required a suitable environment for development, as discussed in his book English Men of Science: Their Nature and Nurture (1894).
How did Galton support his belief in innatism?
In Investigations into the Human Faculties and Their Development (1883), Galton supported innatism by studying monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (non identical) twins, showing the role of heredity in shaping intelligence.
What was the purpose of Galton’s word association test in The Investigations (1888)?
Galton created the first word association test as a tool to study individual differences, hypothesizing a possible link between intelligence (I.Q.) and word associations.
What were the results of Galton’s word association research, and how was the method later used?
Galton was unable to find a direct link between intelligence and word association. However, the method was developed by Carl Jung as a clinical diagnostic tool.
What did Jung theorize about delays in word association tests?
Jung believed delays in responding indicated a block in self-expression, such as having too many possible answers or discomfort with a specific response. He linked this resistance to Freud’s concept of repression.