PSYCH History Flashcards
Psychology Defined
The scientific study of mind and behaviour.
The Goals of Psychology According to Passer (2020)`
- To describe how people and animals behave
- To explain and understand the causes of these behaviours
- To predict how people and animals will behave under certain circumstance.
- To control behaviour through knowledge of its causes to enhance human and animal welfare.
Early History of Psychology - The Theory of Humourism
People are controlled by 4 fluids known as “humours”. Black bile, blood, yellow bile, phlegm. They combine to form temperaments.
Who founded the Theory of Humourism.
Hippocrates
What temperament was Black Bile associated with?
Melancholic
What temperament was Blood associated with?
Sanguine (Cheerful)
What temperament was Yellow Bile associated with?
Choleric (Anger)
What temperament was Phlegm associated with?
Phlegmatic(Relaxed)
Rene Descartes
Argued for a substance dualism and discussed the Mind-Body Problem
Substance dualism
Mind and bodies are distinct substances that interact.
- Minds are subjective
- Bodies are objective
Mind-Body Problem
How do minds and bodies interact?
Wilhelm Wundt
Established psychology are a distinct science discipline. Believed it should be modelled after physics and chemistry. It was a study of the consciousness. Relied on Introspection. (Structuralism)
Introspection
Looking into our minds and reporting what we discover.
Structuralism
A school of thought believing that the goal of psychology was to analyze the basic elements of consciousness and examine how they are related. Relied on Introspection. Pioneered by Wundt.
Functionalism
A school of thought believing that the goal of psychology was to analyze the function of consciousness, not its structure. The mind is providing a function.
Who Pioneered Functionalism?
William James - coined the term stream of consciousness.
Psychoanalysis
Pioneered by Sigmund Freud. Tried to explain personality, motivation, and mental disorders by focusing on unconscious determinant behaviour. (Id, Ego, and Super Ego).
Unconscious
Thoughts, memories, and desires that are below the surface of awareness and exert influence over behaviour.
Occam’s Razor Concept/ Principle of Parsimony
When confronted with two or more equally good competing explanations, the most parsimonious is preferred (the explanation that makes the least amount of new assumptions is preferred).
The Behavioural Perspective
Theoretical orientation with the premise that scientific psychology should study observable behaviour.
Who Pioneered the Behavioural Perspective?
John B. Watson. Argued that genetics were not the only cause of behaviour. Believed in the importance of environmental influences.
Types of Behaviourism
Methodological Behaviourism (classical conditioning)
Tolman’s Behaviourism
Radical Behaviourism
Teleological Behaviourism
Stimulus
Any thing or event that produces a measurable change in an organism’s behaviour.
Behaviourism and B.F Skinner
Skinner discovered Operant Conditioning (punishment and reward).
The Humanistic Perspective
A theoretical orientation that emphasizes the unique qualities of humans, especially their freedom and potential for personal growth. Emphasis on: Conscious motives freedom, choice, self-actualization, etc.
Who Pioneered The Humanistic Perspective?
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
The Cognitive Perspective
Encourages psychologists to infer unobservable constructs on the basis of observable phenomena. Basically renewed the psychological interest in the mind and conscious.
The Biological Perspective
How the brain processes and other bodily functions regulate behaviour.
Sociocultural Psychology
An area of research that focuses on how social and cultural aspects of the environment influences behaviour.
Developmental Psychology
Understanding human development across the life-span. Primarily concerned with childhood development.
Psychometrics
Concerned with the development of psychological tests to allow for assessment of aspects of a persons psychology. Robust tests to make conclusions.
Applied Psychology
Clinical, Counselling, Industrial, School, Forensic,etc.
Clinical Psychology
Concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems and disorders. Grew out out WWII.
