Chapter 1 - Schools of Thought

Question 1

Socrates

Answer 1

focus: early philosophy of mind; introspection (“know thyself”)

*pre-psychology (philosophical roots), socratic method (introspection)

Question 2

Plato

Answer 2

focus: nature (biological influence)

*tripartite theory:
-reason - thinking part of the soul
-passion - part of the soul that feels emotions
-appetite - drive for hunger and thirst

just vs. injust person:
-just - passion is controlled by reason
-injust - gives in to desires, disregards reason or lets their appetite take control

Question 3

Aristotle

Answer 3

focus: nurture (environmental influence), observation and logic to study the soul and behaviour

*pre-psychology (philosophical roots), emphasis on empiricism, mind begins at tabula rasa (blank slate) and external factors shape a person’s character

Question 4

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 4

*father of psychology (formally, the first person associated w/ psychology)

focus: first research lab; studied human consciousness using introspection

Question 5

Edward Titchener

Answer 5

focus: refined wundt’s work; used introspection to study mental structures (elements of consciousness), focused on sensation & perception

school of thought: founded structuralism - what is consciousness made of?

Question 6

William James

Answer 6

focus: studied mental processes in terms of their function in adaptation (mental testing, child development, sex differences, etc.)

school of thought: founded functionalism - how/why do we have consciousness? (as opposed to what it’s made of)

Question 7

John B. Watson

Answer 7

focus: rejected introspection; only studied observable behaviour; stimulus-response relationships

school of thought: founded behaviourism (aka black box psychology)

Question 8

Sigmund Freud

Answer 8

focus: unconscious mind, early childhood, dream analysis.

-believed that true feelings are brought into awareness via parapraxis (slip of the tongue), dreams, and therapy methods (psychoanalysis).

*founded the psychoanalytic theory - unconscious behavioural roots can give insight into motives, traits, and disorders.

critiques:
-emphasis on sexuality (taboo)
-role of unconscious forces (idea that people lack control of their own mind)
-unethical methods (studied babies)

Question 9

B.F. Skinner

Answer 9

focus: operant conditioning (behaviour shaped by reinforcement)

positive outcome=reinforcement (repeated behaviour)
negative outcome=punishment (won’t repeat)

*animal research via skinner box
*controversial claim: free will is an illusion

school of thought: behaviourism

Question 10

Structuralism

Answer 10

-focuses on breaking down mental processes into their most basic components/elements
-uses introspection as a main method (self-reported immediate conscious experiences)

founder: edward titchener

critiques: reliability; imageless thought phenomenon (info that we are not consciously aware of is still important to be studied)

Question 11

Functionalism

Answer 11

-focuses on the purpose of consciousness and how behaviour helps people adapt to their environment
-stream of consciousness (constant flow of thoughts
-not meaningful to break down consciousness into specific components

founder: william james

Question 12

Behaviourism

Answer 12

aka black box psychology because John B. Watson viewed the mind as a black box than we cannot see into

-only studies observable behaviour
-rejects introspection
-focuses on how behaviour is learned through environment and conditioning

Question 13

Humanism

Answer 13

-Carl Rogers + Abraham Maslow viewed previous schools of thought as dehumanizing due to overemphasis on animal behaviour and sexual urges

focus: unique aspects of the human experience (freedom, personal growth)

key contributions: person-centered therapy, hierarchy of needs

Question 14

behaviour

Answer 14

an overt response or activity by an organism

Question 15

cognition

Answer 15

the mental processes involved in acquiring, processing, storing, and using knowledge.

Question 16

introspection

Answer 16

a method of self-observation, where individuals examine their own thoughts and feelings

Question 17

unconscious

Answer 17

the part of the mind that holds thoughts, memories, and desires outside of conscious awareness

Question 18

psychoanalytic theory

Answer 18

unconscious behavioural roots can give insight into motives, traits, and disorders.

Question 19

psychoanalysis

Answer 19

treatment for psychological concerns (e.g., fears)