Introduction Flashcards
How can we define Psychology?
It’s a systematic study that includes observations and experiments.
What is the history of pre-psychology (natural philosophy)?
Plato (nativism) which is nature and Aristotle (empiricism) which is nurture. 300-400BC. Nurture means to be born with a blank slate.
What is structuralism, phrenology and behaviourism?
structuralism: analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind
phrenology: certain parts of our brain control certain behaviours. Our brain and mind are linked by size. This isn’t scientifically proven and in the modern day we know now that we use both the Wernicke’s and Broca’s area for language.
behaviourism: we behave through rewards and punishments.
What is the Broca and Wernicke area used for?
Broca area: speech production
Wernicke area: speech comprehension
Who is Helmholtz and Wundt?
Wundt: established the first psychology laboratory - structuralism
Helmholtz: measured reaction time and performed physiological experiments - functionalism
What is introspection and structuralism?
introspection: experiment for structuralism. subjective observations of one’s own experiences (present stimulus and report your experience)
structuralism: analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind
What did Gestalt Psychology contribute?
people behave holistically. e.g. titchener circles appear closer or further apart or muller lyer line illusions where we perceive the lines as longer or further apart even though they’re the same distance
What are the imitations of structuralism?
limitation: Method was unreliable, limiting and subjective
What were Sigmund Freud’s theories?
superego, ego, ID
nonconscious (sounds, colours, light that humans don’t hear but animals do), unconscious, preconscious and conscious
ID is in the unconscious, occurs in childhood.
Superego is our current self in the preconscious.
Ego is in all 3 levels.
What did behaviourism contribute?
Input and output for the black box which represents our minds.
Pavlov dogs experiment, Skinner rat experiment and Watson’s little Albert experiment.
What are David Marr’s levels of analysis?
Complex systems like the brain should be understood using different levels.
Computational: What’s the problem to be solved?
Algorithmic: How can the problem be solved?
Implementation: How are the rules physically implemented?
What is Shepard’s and Metzler’s study in 1971?
When shapes are rotated RT (reaction time) should increase with large rotations. When rotation is little, we respond faster. Cognitive processes take time.
What is split brain and reference the Sperry study?
Two hemispheres (left and right) operate differently, there is a link between them both which is the corpus callosum. For split brain patients it can be cut due to genetics or surgically.
When these hemispheres operate independently: right hand side of body control left brain and vica versa. If left hemisphere sees something, it doesn’t communicate with the right hemisphere. Right hand could draw what they see but not the left hand. As the left hemisphere saw the image, but the right hemisphere couldn’t because the hemispheres didn’t communicate.
What is the law of mass action?
the portion of the brain that is injured is directly proportional to the decreased ability of memory functions
What is equipotentiality?
the theory that the brain has the capacity (in the case of injury) to transfer functional memory from the damaged portion of the brain to other undamaged portions of the brain
