Chapter 1 - Introduction

Question 1

Why study the history of psychology?

Answer 1

• it is the basis for studies conducted today
• diversity within the field
• evolution of the field
• understanding the origins to appreciate modern psychology

Question 2

What is historiography?

Answer 2

the principle, methods, and philosophical issues of historical research

Question 3

What is a zeitgeist?

Answer 3

Intellectual & cultural climate or spirit of the times

Question 4

What are the 2 main components of science?

Answer 4

1) empirical observations

2) theory

Question 5

What is a correlational law?

Answer 5

how classes of events vary together

Question 6

What is a causal law?

Answer 6

how events are causally related

Question 7

What is the assumption of determinism?

Answer 7

What is being studied can be understood in terms of CAUSAL LAWS

Question 8

What were Karl Popper’s 3 steps of his scientific method?

Answer 8

1) empirical observation > problem
2) propose solution > conjecture
3) find fault with solution > refutation

Question 9

According to Popper, what must theories have?

Answer 9

They must run the risk of being incorrect (this way we constantly look for more adequate theories)

Question 10

According to Kuhn, what is the goal when evaluating scientific theories?

Answer 10

The goal is to determine whether or not they correspond to an external, mind-independent world (the correspondence theory of truth)

Question 11

What is a paradigm?

Answer 11

beliefs, values, techniques, etc. shared by the members of a given scientific community

Question 12

Name some differences between Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn

Answer 12

POPPER:

• scientific problem solving is a creative activity
• logic and creativity
• correspondence theory of truth?

KUHN:

• puzzle solving
• convention & subjective factors
• scientists “create” the reality they explore

Question 13

What is determinism?

Answer 13

all behaviour has causal explanations (biological determinism, environmental determinism, sociocultural determinism, etc)

Question 14

What is intdeterminism?

Answer 14

uncertainty principle - we can never learn at least some causes of behaviour (because in attempting to observe them, we change them)
- human behaviour may be determined, but the causes cannot be accurately measured

Question 15

What is non-determinism?

Answer 15

• some researchers reject science as a way of studying humans
• human behaviour is FREELY CHOSEN, and SELF-GENERATED (humans have free will)

Question 16

What are some theories about how the mind and body are related?

Answer 16

• materialism
• idealism
• monism
• dualism

Question 17

What is materialism?

Answer 17

Only matter is reality, thus, everything must be explained in terms of matter

Question 18

What is idealism?

Answer 18

Attempt to explain everything in terms of consciousness

Question 19

What is monism?

Answer 19

Believe either in materialism or in idealism

Question 20

What is dualism?

Answer 20

believe that there are both physical events (material events) and mental events (idealism)

Question 21

What are the kinds of dualism?

Answer 21

1) interactionism
2) emergentism
3) epiphenomenalism
4) psychophysical parallelism
5) double aspectism
6) occasionalism

Question 22

What is interactionism?

Answer 22

The mind and body interact

Question 23

What is emergentism?

Answer 23

Mental states emerge from brain states

Question 24

What is epiphenomenalism?

Answer 24

Mental processes are by-products of brain processes

Question 25

What is psychophysical parallelism?

Answer 25

Environmental events cause both mental events and behaviour simultaneously, which are independent of each other

Question 26

What is double aspectism?

Answer 26

humans cannot be divided into mind and body; they are a unity of experience (mind and body are aspects of the same person)

Question 27

What is occasionalism?

Answer 27

When a desire occurs in the mind, God causes the body to act; when events happen to the body, God provides the corresponding mental experience

Question 28

What is nativism?

Answer 28

Emphasizes the role of inheritance

Question 29

What is empiricism?

Answer 29

Emphasizes the role of experience

Question 30

What is mechanism?

Answer 30

behaviour in all organisms can be explained as machines in terms of parts and laws

Question 31

What is vitalism?

Answer 31

living things contain a force that does not exist in inanimate objects

Question 32

What is rationalism?

Answer 32

emphasizes logical, systematic and intelligent thought processes in explanation of behaviour

Question 33

What is irrationalism?

Answer 33

Emphasizes unconscious determinants of behaviour which cannot be produced rationally

Question 34

What does epistemology mean?

Answer 34

The study of the nature of knowledge

Question 35

what is radical empiricism?

Answer 35

All knowledge comes from sensory experience

Question 36

What is naïve realism?

Answer 36

Posits that our subjective experience is exactly what is present in the physical world

Question 37

What is reification?

Answer 37

A fallacy in which we tend to believe that because something has a name, it also has an independent existence

Question 38

What is universalism?

Answer 38

The goal is to describe general laws and principles that govern the world and our perception of it

Question 39

What is relativism?

Answer 39

Universal truths either do not exist, or, if they do, they cannot be known