Problem 5 Flashcards
Why were german universities dominant and most advanced in the 19th century ?
They were reformed to make them more dynamic + advance the new sciences, which was achieved by including:
- Wissenschaft
- -> scientific research - Bildung
- -> the making of good citizens/education
Wilhelm Wundt
Was a german physician who became interested in applying the physiological methods to psychological phenomena
–> opened the first laboratory of experimental psychology (1879) in Leipzig
How did Wundt define Psychology ?
Physiological psychology
It refers to the way in which people look upon themselves on the basis of INTERNAL PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES that inform them about the phenomena perceived by the EXTERNAL SENSES
–> study of sensory phenomena in relation to physical stimuli
ex.: just noticeable difference
Which impact did the opening of the laboratory by Wundt have on Psychology ?
(1879)
- Its opening was coined as the official date of “birth” of academic psychology
- Wundt used it to actively promote psychological research
- Many psychologists got their initial training here
- Caused many different laboratories to open around the world + increased interest
Which were the 3 main groups of methods used by Wundt ?
- Experimental methods (Physiology)
- -> Fechner - Introspection
- Historical Method
- -> info about the psychology of individuals can be obtained by looking at culture
Demand characteristics
Refer to the fact that participants change their behavior when they have info about the experiments purpose
- -> often occurs without knowledge
- -> wasn’t known at Wundts time
Despite the Criticisms against Introspection, Wundt firmly insisted on its importance.
How did he try to encounter these criticisms ?
By making a distinction between
- Innere Wahrnehmung
- Experimentelle Selbstbeobachtung
–>2. would provide more control, therefore qualify as a valid scientific method to acquire info about the contents of consciousness
Historical Method
Refers to the study of mental differences as revealed by differences between cultures
–> well suited to studying things like social aspects of human thought
Why didn’t Wundt have as much of an impact as for example Newton or Darwin ?
- Didnt produce a useful theory/empirical discovery
- His writings weren’t clear nor easy to read + included some contradictions
–> therefore “only” known as the “father of experimental psychology”
William James
Was an american physician who became interested in psychology through his teachings
–> wrote “The principles of psychology” (1890)
The principles of Psychology
James, 1875
- Most influential textbook of early psychology
2. Accessible + clear account of what was known about psychology at end of 19th century
How did James impact Psychology ?
- His textbook was essential for the foundation + expansion of psychology in the USA
- Defended Introspection, despite criticism
- “Father” of functionalism
==> however Anti-Experimental methods
Functionalism
Examined the practical FUNCTIONS of the human mind, inspired by the evolutionary theory
–> according to James the humans mind had emerged as an adaptation to increase the chances of survival
–> opened the way to comparative psychology
Structuralism
Tichener, 1876
Aimed to discover the STRUCTURES of the human mind by means of introspection
–> Perception is the sum of sensations
Structuralism was not very influential because of criticism from 3 sides.
Which were those ?
- Würzburg school + Binet
- -> Imageless thoughts - Functionalists
- -> limited usefulness of the knowledge of structures of mind - Gestalt psychologists
- -> humans are more than the sum of their individual sensations
Imageless thought
Coming to a conclusion without having a clue of the processes that underlay it
–> humans aren’t aware of many thought processes + cannot report them, let alone dissect them
Edward Titchener
Was an Oxford graduate, who then studied under Wundt
–> promoted structuralism + defended introspection
Gestalt Psychology
According to them, the brain had self organizing principles + people experience the world in terms of gestalts
–> countermovement to structuralism
Würzburg school
Refers to a group of psychologists at Uni of Würzburg who used introspection but came to different conclusion from those of Wundt + Titchener
–> stressed the examples of imageless thoughts
Théodule Ribot
Was a professor in Paris, who questioned Comtes negative view on Introspection + Psychology in general
–> sought to bring the foreign advances in psychology to France
–> published 2 books, discussing german + english advances in psychology
–> was an author, never an experimentalist himself
Jean Martin Charcot
Was one of the first neurologists who related clinical symptoms to anatomical brain dysfunctions
–> particularly interested in hypnosis + hysteria
Hysteria
Refers to a condition of emotional distress often accompanied by physical symptoms for which no organic origin could be found
Alfred Binet
Was a french physician, best known for his development of the first valid intelligence test
How did Binet come up with the idea of the Intelligence test ?
- First tried to measure intelligence on the basis of
a) Psychophysical measures
b) Measures of skull
- Used meaningful questions, whose solutions didn’t rely on info learned in school
–> w/ aid by Théodore Simon
What was concluded by the results of the Intelligence test ?
- There was a relationship between the number of questions the child could answer + the childs degree of retardation
- Developing children can solve problems of increasing difficulty
Why was Psychology in France not as advanced as in other Western parts of the world ?
Psychology was seen as part of humanities as a result of Comtés writings
–> according to the french it wasn’t a science
Asylum
16th century
Institutions for the insane, modeled after prisons, later after hospitals
–> aim was to re-educate them as good, productive members of society
Neurologists
Physicians who were interested in the treatment of milder forms of mental problems outside the asylum
- -> specialists of the NS
- -> Charcot was a forerunner, Freud one of the first
Sigmund Freud
Was a german neurologist who started psychological treatment of his patients
–> initiation of Psychoanalysis
Psychopathology
Refers to the scientific study of mental disorders
Why wasn’t the UK able to capitalize on its initial lead in Psychology, but trailed behind in the evolutions in other countries ?
- Universities didn’t encourage the discipline
- -> strong influence of church - Resistance from the established disciplines against the newcomer
- Scientific research happened outside the universities
Scientific research in the UK happened outside the universities.
Where exactly ?
- Societies
- Small scale institutes
- Scholars
The first laboratory of experimental psychology was under the direction of … and …
Myers + Rivers
–> Cambridge
University College London
UCL
Was founded as a neutral alternative to Oxford + Cambridge
–> more interested in natural sciences + more open to the empirical studies of the human mind
Oxford + Cambridge
Are the oldest schools/Universities in England
–> where rather conservative, which was due to their extreme bond to the roman catholic church
–> consequently less interested in natural sciences
Which impacts did Sully have on psychology in the UK ?
- Made efforts to establish the first laboratory of psychology in the UK
- Founded the “British society of Psychology” which still exists
- Chairman of the “Grote Chair” at UCL
- -> fundings to pursue scientific research
Which impact did the UK have on Psychology in general ?
- It was home to 2 early journals of Psychology
- -> “Mind” + “British journal of psychology” which still exist - Development of statistical methods + Correlational research
- -> help of Galton, Pearson
ex.: correlation coefficient
Grundzüge der physiologischen Psychologie
Wundt
Were a series of psychological textbooks by Wundt, revised and rewritten several times over the course of many years, stressing the importance of merging the sciences of Physiology and Psychology
–> Physiological Psychology
Which were the 3 main counterarguments of Ribot against the criticisms against introspection ?
- The mind can have more than one impression at a time
- Introspection is based on memories
- -> can remember things - If one rejects introspection how can you study mental functions
When was the first laboratory opened in Oxford ?
In 1935
–> McDougall tried to open one earlier but was denied funding
Cattell
English physician that studied under Wundt
- -> first one to try to open a laboratory in Cambridge
- -> returned to UK, then left for the USA
What lead to the modernization of german universities ?
The defeat of the holy roman empire in 1805, by Napoleon
