Problem 6

Question 1

Why did scientific psychology expand as rapidly in the USA in the 20th century ?

Answer 1

While europe was crippled by 2 wars, USA became an economic superpower, investing in all types of sciences

• -> resulted in establishment of many laboratories
• -> foundation of APA
• -> initiation of important journals

Question 2

What led to functionalism ?

Answer 2

Psychology changed to address concerns prevalent in american society

ex.: adaptation to the environment (eugenics), practical usefulness

Question 3

Eugenics

Answer 3

Refers to a social philosophy claiming that the fate of a nation can be improved by selective breeding of its inhabitants

–> started with Galton

Question 4

Positive Eugenics

Answer 4

Sought to improve society by encouraging people with desirable features to have more children

–> Galton

Question 5

Negative Eugenics

Answer 5

Sought to improve society by preventing people with undesirable features from having more children/ entering the country

Question 6

Phrenology

Gall + Spurzheim

Answer 6

View that an individuals personality could be deduced from his/her physical appearance, in particular from the head + face

• -> different function are controlled by different parts of the brain
• -> bigger parts are better developed

Question 7

Mesmerism

Answer 7

Refers to the act of putting someone into a mental state like sleep, in which a person’s thoughts can be easily influenced by someone else

Question 8

Spiritualism

Answer 8

View that the spirits of the dead could be contacted by mediums

Question 9

Why was the impact of the “new psychology”, meaning psychology as a science, limited ?

Answer 9

The topics they talked about failed to capture the publics imagination to the same degree as phrenology, mesmerism + spiritualism

–> rather associated psychology with these three subjects

Question 10

What led to an increased interest in animal behaviour, especially the similarities between human + animal behaviour ?

Answer 10

The evolutionary theory, meaning the writings of spencer + Darwin

Question 11

Anthropomorphic interpretation

Answer 11

Interpreting behavior on animals by attributing human motives + human-like intelligence to them

• -> assumed animals have same reasoning processes as humans
• -> how animal behavior was studied initially

Question 12

In which way did Thorndikes approach differ from the Anthropomorphic interpretation ?

Answer 12

1. Observed in a controlled environment
2. Based his conclusions on animals behaviour, objectively
   - -> Law of effect

Question 13

Law of effect

Answer 13

States that behaviours followed by positive consequences are strengthened + more likely to be repeated

Question 14

Instrumental conditioning

Answer 14

Refers to learning on the basis of the law effect

–> called operant conditioning by Skinner

Question 15

Thorndikes puzzle box

Answer 15

1. Put hungry animals in a puzzle box
2. Placed food outside of the box
3. Animal could reach the food if it managed to solve the puzzle + open the door
   ex. : pulling lever

–> time decreased, because animal will repeat behaviors that had been successful

Question 16

Edward Thorndike

Answer 16

Was an american physiologist, seen as the father of comparative + educational psychology

–> introduced instrumental conditioning

Question 17

Comparative Psychology

Answer 17

Refers to the study of animals behaviour, to she light on human functioning

–> within the framework of the evolutionary theory

Question 18

What did eventually bring research on animal behaviour into the realm of the natural sciences ?

Answer 18

Pavlovs + Thorndikes/Skinners theories on conditioning

Question 19

Behaviorism

Answer 19

Argues that observable behaviors are the most important aspect of human functioning to be understood

Question 20

What initiated Behaviorism ?

Answer 20

The launch of the article “Behaviorist manifesto” by Watson as editor of “psychological review”

–> beginning of Behaviourism

Question 21

What did the “Behaviorist manifesto” article state ?

Which were its main suggestions to improve Psychology ?

Answer 21

1. Psychology has to be a purely objective experimental branch of natural science
2. It has to be based on prediction + control of behavior
3. No room for introspection + everything that refers to consciousness

–> comparative

Question 22

John B Watson

Answer 22

Was an american physiologist + behaviorist

–> conducted the conditioning experiment on “Little Albert”

Question 23

Philosophy of science

Answer 23

Studies the foundations of scientific research, so that other knowledge areas could adopt this method as well

Question 24

Which are the 3 ideas behaviorists adopted from the philosophy of science to make Psychology more scientific + objective ?

Answer 24

1. Necessity of OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
2. Distinction between DEPENDENT + INDEPENDENT variables
   - -> S-R variables
3. Necessity of VERIFICATION

Question 25

Operational definition

Answer 25

Refers to the definition of a variable in terms of how the variable has been measured ex.: weight expressed in kg

Question 26

Verification

Answer 26

Statements are only useful if they could be verified by empirical observation --> evidence has to be presented in such a way that it can be verified by others

Question 27

When Watsons scientific career ended after being thrown out of Johns Hopkins University, who were the 3 behaviourists to continue his legacy ?

Answer 27

1. Hull - -> mathematical equations to explain phenomena 2. Skinner - -> Radical behaviorism 3. Tolman - -> Purposive behaviorism

Question 28

Radical Behaviorism | Skinner

Answer 28

Is a strong version of behaviorism that 1. Denies the relevance of information processing in the mind 2. Holds that all human behavior can be understood on the basis of S-R associations 3. Humans have little to no control over their actions as they merely respond to events in their environment, without taking initiative (Conditioning)

Question 29

Purposive behaviorism | Tolman + Blodgett

Answer 29

Form of behaviorism that states that animal + human behavior is motivated by goals --> goals can be studied objectively ex.: only when the rats were provided with a goal did they make use of their knowledge

Question 30

With which methods did Thorndike replace Anthropomorphism ?

Answer 30

1. Mechanomorphism | 2. Theriomorphism

Question 31

Mechanomorphism

Answer 31

Attributing mechanistic properties to psychological phenomena

Question 32

Theriomorphomism

Answer 32

Attributing the qualities of nonhuman animals to human beings

Question 33

Henry Spencer

Answer 33

Thought that life started from very simple, homogenous organisms and constantly became more complex and better integrated --> was inspired by Lamarck + Darwin

Question 34

Romanes

Answer 34

Attempted to clarify nature of animal intelligence through anecdotal and anthropomorphic means