Introduction to Psychology: History Flashcards
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes
Psychology
overt actions and reactions
Behavior
internal, covert activity of our minds
Mental
uncovering the mysteries of human and animal behavior
Psychology
“psyche” means
Soul
“logos” means
to study
wrote about the relationship of the soul to the body, with the two being aspects of the same underlying structure, known as monism
Aristotle
felt the soul could exist separately from the body, a view that has become known as dualism
Plato
agreed with Plato and believed that the pineal gland (a small organ at the base of the brain involved in sleep) was the seat of the soul
Rene Descartes (Cogito, ergo sum)
Father of Psychology; attempted to apply scientific principles to the study of the human mind
Wilhelm Wundt
the focus of the study was the structure of the mind;
every experience could be broken down into its individual emotions and sensations
Structuralism
Edward Titchener
importance of consciousness to everyday life rather than just its analysis;
how the mind allows people to function in the real world
Functionalism
William James
gestalt is a German word meaning “an organized whole” or “configuration”;
psychological events such as perceiving and sensing could not be broken down into any smaller elements and still be properly understood
Gestalt Psychology
Max Wertheimer
stressed the importance of early childhood experiences, believing that personality was formed in the first 6 years of life;
all behavior stems from unconscious motivation
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud
showed that a reflex (an involuntary reaction) could be caused to occur in respond to a formerly unrelated stimulus
Behaviorism
Ivan Pavlov
all behavior was a result of a stimulus-response relationship;
all behavior is learned;
“Science of Behavior” or Behaviorism
Behaviorism
John B. Watson
