psych history final Flashcards
(52 cards)
What does Gestalt mean?
Configuration, pattern, form.
What is a major assumption of Gestalt Psychology?
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
What is relational determination in Gestalt Psychology?
Properties of parts depend upon their relation to the whole.
How does relational determination apply to jigsaw puzzles?
A pile of pieces is the sum of parts; solving the whole puzzle involves understanding how each piece fits together.
How does relational determination apply to melody?
Melody is a configuration based on the relations of individual notes.
Who founded Gestalt Psychology?
Max Wertheimer.
What is the Phi Phenomenon?
An illusion of apparent movement demonstrated by flashing two stationary lights at different times.
What is productive thinking?
Reorganization of a problem to find a meaningful solution, moving from a confused state (S1) to a goal state (S2).
What is the famous story of Young Gauss?
He quickly calculated the sum of 1 to 10 by pairing numbers: 1+10, 2+9, etc., leading to 5x11.
What is reproductive thinking?
Reproduction of previous solutions characterized by misguided conclusions.
What is functional fixedness?
The inability to adopt a new perspective on a problem.
What is the Law of Similarity?
The tendency to group similar items together.
What is the Zeigarnik Effect?
Incomplete tasks are recalled better than completed tasks.
What is the figure-ground relationship?
The ability to distinguish an object from its background.
What did Wolfgang Köhler study?
Learning in apes, particularly the sudden realization of the whole.
What was Pavlov’s reaction to Kohler?
He opposed Kohler and dedicated his work to proving him wrong.
What is Gestalt Therapy?
Fritz Perls’ approach that is not an intellectual extension of Gestalt psychology.
What contributed to the demise of Gestalt Psychology in America?
The grounding of American psychology in behaviorism and the lack of publications by Wertheimer.
Who is Sigmund Freud?
The founder of psychoanalysis, active from 1856 to 1939.
What is the role of unconscious dynamics in Freud’s theory?
Emphasizes the importance of unconscious processes in shaping personality.
What are the three components of the human mind according to Freud?
Conscious mind, preconscious mind, and unconscious mind.
What is the Pleasure Principle?
The id’s drive for immediate gratification without considering consequences.
What is the Reality Principle?
The ego’s ability to make thoughtful decisions instead of impulsive ones.
What are ego defense mechanisms?
Strategies that reduce neurotic and moral anxiety.
