History of psychology unit 6 Flashcards
What is Functionalism in psychology?
Functionalism views consciousness as a continuous, personal stream influenced by individual experiences. It focuses on understanding the motivations behind human behavior to fulfill needs.
What societal demands influenced psychology at the start of the 20th century?
Education: Tools were needed to classify students by ability for effective teaching.
Army/Companies: Reliable methods for selecting personnel were required.
What debate shaped the study of individual differences?
Innatism: Individual traits are genetically inherited.
Environmentalism: Differences arise from environmental factors.
Who was Francis Galton, and what is he known for?
Francis Galton (1822–1911) was a pioneer in differential psychology, focusing on individual differences and intelligence measurement. He was Darwin’s cousin and applied evolutionary theory to human capabilities.
How did Galton define intelligence?
Intelligence, according to Galton, was “sensitive acuity” and largely inherited.
What controversial project did Galton propose?
Galton proposed eugenics, a selective breeding project to “improve” human populations, inspired by evolutionary theory.
What is a word association test, and what did Galton aim to study with it?
A test where individuals respond to trigger words with the first word that comes to mind (e.g., “cat” → “dog”).
Galton used it to explore thought processes and hypothesized a link between intelligence and associations, though he found no direct correlation.
What is mental imagery, and how did Galton study it?
Mental imagery refers to sensory experiences without external stimuli (e.g., imagining a scene). Galton studied these representations to understand individual differences.
What is anthropometry, and why did Galton focus on it?
Anthropometry is the measurement of physical traits (e.g., height, reaction times) to study individual differences, which Galton saw as a way to measure intelligence.
What statistical concepts did Galton introduce?
Correlation: Measuring relationships between variables.
Regression: Predicting one variable based on another.
Median: A measure of central tendency.
What was Galton’s stance on heredity and environment?
While he emphasized hereditary factors in intelligence, he also acknowledged the need for a suitable environment to nurture abilities (e.g., studies with twins).
How did Galton influence later psychological studies?
His focus on measurement, individual differences, and statistical methods (like correlation) laid the groundwork for future psychological testing and research.
Who was James McKeen Cattell?
An American psychologist who introduced the term “mental test” and helped establish psychology as a practical, scientific discipline in the U.S.
What was Cattell’s major contribution to psychology?
He introduced experimental methods from Wundt and Galton to the U.S., focusing on intelligence measurement and applying psychology to education and business.
How did Cattell’s approach differ from Wundt’s?
Cattell leaned toward functionalism, emphasizing practical applications, while Wundt focused on understanding mental processes through experimental psychology.
Why are Cattell’s “mental tests” significant?
They were early attempts to measure intelligence and correlate it with academic success, paving the way for modern psychometrics.
What role did Cattell play in promoting psychology?
He founded influential journals like Psychological Review and Science, helping establish psychology as a scientific discipline in the U.S.
Who was Alfred Binet?
A French psychologist considered the father of psychometrics and experimental psychology in France. He is best known for developing the first intelligence test with Theodore Simon.
What was Binet’s approach to measuring intelligence?
Unlike Galton, who measured intelligence through sensory acuity, Binet focused on complex mental operations and the ability to solve problems.
What is “Individual Psychology” by Binet?
A concept emphasizing the diversity of mental faculties and the idea that intelligence varies with age. Binet rejected sensory acuity as a measure of intelligence.
Why did Binet criticize earlier intelligence measures?
He argued that:
Intelligence cannot be measured solely through sensory and motor skills.
Intelligence evolves with age and must be studied in relation to developmental stages.
What was Binet’s collaboration with Theodore Simon?
Binet and Simon worked on creating tools to identify and support children with intellectual deficiencies in schools, leading to the first intelligence test.
What was the goal of Binet and Simon’s 1905 intelligence test?
To differentiate between normal and intellectually impaired children for practical educational interventions, not to measure inherited intelligence.
What were the main features of the 1905 Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale?
Composed of 30 tests measuring motor and cognitive skills.
Targeted children aged 2–12.
Focused on real-life problem-solving and reasoning.
