-Isms

Question 1

Structuralism

Answer 1

Structure of perception.

Wundt - studied perception by examining its structure using introspection.

Question 2

Gestaltism

Answer 2

Holistic. Can only look at perception as a whole.

Gestalt = German for configuration.

Perception is a result of perceptual organisation.

Question 3

Constuctivism

Answer 3

Constructing perception through knowledge and experience coupled with observation.

Von Helmholtz

Not receiving perceptions directly, poor retinal information.

Question 4

Connectionism

Answer 4

Mental phenomena explained through a network of connections between units in the brain (neurons and synapses).

Spreading activiation. Neural networks.

Question 5

(Cartesian) Interactionism

Answer 5

The interaction between the mind (conscious) and the body (not conscious).

Question 6

Functionalism

Answer 6

Holds that consciousness has a function that is being performed by a system.

Materialist.

Question 7

Cartesian Materialism

Answer 7

The idea that there is a place in the brain where the mental meets the physical (i.e. the screen of the theatre).

Question 8

Homuncular Functionalism

Answer 8

Tasks are performed by many ‘stupid homunculi’. Reduce down until talking about neurons.

Pandemonium is a homuncular functionalist theory.