Lecture 4 - Structuralism & Functionalism Flashcards
Titchener
Academic -> public psy Physio lab (snob) Pure research approach (not applied); disagreed w/ applied psy Functionalism = too vague Structure is more important
Goals of structuralism
- Analyze - what are the elements?
- Understand synthesis - how are they arranged?
- Explain how nervous system produces these elements - what causes these arrangements?
Focused on answering 1 & 2
What were Titchener’s research methods?
Introspection - trained students
Thought it was more impartial
Looked at facts, no preconceptions
Introspectors should be fresh, healthy, without anxiety
What were problems w/ Titchener’s methods?
Could not be replicated Difficult to be unbiased, anxiety free What was the point of breaking it down? More useful to look at the whole rather than the parts Introspection req'd too much training P's limited to highly motivated adults Did not look at indvd dffs Excluded children, animals, insane
What is stimulus error?
Describing the whole rather than the sensations/facts that make up the whole
What are the 3 elements of consciousness?
- Images - ideas
- Feelings/affections - emotions
- Sensations - perceptions
What are the attributes of the elements?
- Sensation: Quality, Intensity, Duration, Clearness
- Images: Same but pale/faded/washed out
- Affections: pleasant or unpleasant; intensity, qual, duration but no clearness
1909 - T’s Txtbook of Psy
1/3rd dedicated to sensory processes
What was T’s impact on psychology?
American Journal of Psychology (Hall, 1895)
Translated articles from German -> English, incld. Wundt
The Manuals taught many students
Helped create scientific psychology
Discuss the Manuals
2 written for students and instructors
Old way of research training - drill courses, nothing original, only replication
1901 - Qualitative - basic sensory perceptual and affectual processes
1905 - Quantitative - psychophysics, reaction time
Many students trained from the manuals
What were the reasons for structuralism’s downfall?
No one kept it going after T’s death
View on psychology too narrow
No applied psy, omitted important mental processes
T was uncompromising and authoritarian
Rise of functionalism
Imageless thought problem
Others defended themselves fiercely against T
Why did functionalism rise?
US growing Application of knowledge was popular People wanted psy to be applied Psy was studied widely People needed help
Discuss the context of functionalism.
Evolution was well-known, functionalism grew out of it
What was the purpose of bhvr in rltn to the environment?
Variation was adaptive, and indvd diffs were getting attn
What did functionalism look at?
The function/purpose of consciousness
1. To solve problems and adapt to novel situations
How did functionalism affect psychology?
Broadened the scope conceptually and methodologically
Included other fields
Brought it closer to modern psy
Who was in the Chicago school?
Dewey
Angell
Carr
Who was in the Columbia school?
Cattell
Thorndike
Woodworth
Discuss Dewey
Established Chicago as center of functionalism
Wrote Reflex Arc Concept - start of functionalism
What was the Reflex Arc Concept?
Said that traditional view of reflex was too simple
Stimulus -> brain/idea -> act/response
Wanted to incld cdtning and learning by consequence
Focus on what for, not just what
Consider adaptive purpose of reflexes
Saw them as integrated whole, or continuous circuit
Dewey and psy in education
Children do not learn like adults Must form flexible variety of habits Most important - growth Against math/reading/writing Children shd learn naturally from envr Less disciplined
Discuss Angell
Wrote The Province of Functional Psychology
Clearly defined functionalism, described it, compared it with functionalism
What are the main tenets of functionalism?
- Study mental operations, not elements
- Identify utilities of consciousness
- Is a psychophysical psychology - connection between mind/body
Discuss Carr
Carr mazes and standardization
Ran lab at Chicago
Comparative psychology
Discuss Thorndike
Educational psy and psy testing
Comparative psy - most notable work
Baby chicks and cats in puzzle boxes
First acted randomly, eventually found way out; useless bhvr decreased and effective bhvr increased
Similar ideas to punishment, reinforcement and generalization
