ch 3: Psychology in America & Rise of Behaviourism

Question 1

William James: Father of Psych in U.S (science of the mind)

Answer 1

German psychology: mechanistic

• consciousness cannot be reduced to atoms
• Determinism or free will? is everything determined by biology or do we have free will?
• founder and active member of the American Society of Psychical Research

Question 2

Psychology

Answer 2

natural science

Question 3

Subject matter of psychology

Answer 3

science of mental life

Question 4

Methods in Psychology

Answer 4

introspection, experimentation and comparison

Question 5

“Streams of Consciousness” -William James

Answer 5

• our consciousness keeps flowing and is never the same

- even though we experience the same things everyday, in our consciousness its never the same

Question 6

Functionalism

Answer 6

scientific psychology should uncover functions of the mind

Question 7

Pragmatism

Answer 7

-scientific ideas knowledge can never be absolutely certain so should be judged according to the degree of their usefulness

Question 8

James’ Problems with authenticity of Psychology

Answer 8

• he could not divide science into two, could not use experimental introspection as an explanation for higher mental processes
• if consciousness is always changing; then how can we study it?

Question 9

Wundt’s view on function of mind

Answer 9

• we can’t study it
• leave it to the natural or cultural sciences
• higher mental processes like language

Question 10

The Demise of Introspection in American Psychology (1890-1920)

Answer 10

• Rapid industrialization, urbanization, expansion of education
• Science & technology solutions to practical & social problems: how sensations is converted into perception is not what US was interested in
• how can the science of the human mind improve life?
• Psych from Germany to be adapted to earn its place in academics and public

Question 11

Titchener (1867-1927)

Answer 11

• first lab at cornell
• used Wundt’s methods/Psychology: Structuralism
• describes the components of consciousness in terms of basic elements
• describes the combinations of basic elements
• explain the connections of the elements to the nervous system

Question 12

Rise of Behaviorism 
From James (1890) to Watson's behaviourism (1913)

Answer 12

Psychology underwent a profound changes:

• progressive values of social order, control and management
• rejection of introspection and the study of consciousness
• introduction of a new subject matter: BEHAVIOR
• mental processes were replaced with behavior

Question 13

Anecdotal method:

Answer 13

collection of descriptions of animal behavior from many sources, and then sorting them to come up with reliable inferences about the functioning of the animal mind

Question 14

Thorndike (1874-1949)

Answer 14

• first comparative psychologists to turn to experimental method
• law of effect: trial & error/ reward & punishment
• behavior changes out of consequences
• behavior is controlled by environment so let’s manipulate the environment and see the change in behavior
• if animal behaviour can be explained then let’s study humans

Question 15

Pavlov (1849-1936)

Answer 15

• Environmental variables control behavior
• rejected “mind” as the cause of behavior
• associative learning
• strong influence on American Behaviorism

“classical conditioning”
-his method pushed out the introspection part of psych and brought in the behavior part

Question 16

Rise of Behaviourism

Answer 16

• Changing beliefs about the Nature of Consciousness

- it’s materialistic, its reflexive process

Question 17

Ralph Barton Perry (1876-1957)

Answer 17

-contents of consciousness produced through experience: elements of the environment producing what’s in your consciousness

• everyone can see the environment/same stimuli as everyone else so we should all be able to understand everyone’s consciousness
  ex: having a stomach (everyone’s experience that)

-your consciousness is being reflected by your behavior

Question 18

John B Watson (1878-1958): father of behaviourism

Answer 18

• behaviourism goal: predict & control behaviour
• observation & manipulation
• emphasis power of the Environment
• Fear, love & hate: main emotions

Question 19

Behaviorism: Influential but Contested

Mary Whiton Calkins (1863-1930)

Answer 19

-opposed to elimination of introspection, useful for complex behaviours, imagining, judging and reasoning

Question 20

Behaviourism & American Life

Answer 20

American societal values: practicality, order, control

• Rapid changes in social life: industrialization, urbanization and immigration
• Psych scientific expert to restore balance in society by applying scientific principles to human behavior
• Increased specialization in the professions
• mental testing in education/industry

-both a creation of & a contributor to a way of living in early 20th century America