Science & History Flashcards

Question

John Locke (1632-1702) ![]()

Answer 1

The human mind begins as a “tabula rasa” and we learn through experience Two sources of ideas from experience: 1. Sensation and 2. Reflection Simple knowledge builds Complex knowledge **Empiricists** (like Locke) argue all knowledge is gained through experience; with emphasis on the method of using observation and sensory impressions to build knowledge

Answer 2

The type of work favoured by **empiricists** is **empirical work**. By definition, an empirical project is one that requires observation at some point. The type of work favoured by **rationalists** is **theoretical work**, a theoretical project being defined as one that does not require observation at any stage (Kukla, 2001, pp 1-2).

Answer 3

Used the two-point threshold method to show sensitivity to touch differed across different body areas – eg. tongue 1mm vs back 5cm  Used increases in weights to determine Just Noticeable Differences (JNDs); demonstrated judgements are relative

Answer 4

Humans have descended from animals by modification through principles of natural selection  Change in religious and Cartesian thinking: no separation between man and animals  Examination of emotions in humans and animals; observed universality of emotional expressions

Answer 5

Seen as the founder of experimental psychology “experimental introspection” • Began the first journal of Psychology: Philosophical Studies (1881). • Opened up first university based lab of psychology at University of Leipzig (1879) Goal of Wundt’s research was to understand consciousness  He confined experiments to immediate experience  Claimed that “the events of mental life are known through introspection”  attempted to use introspection scientifically sought to investigate the immediate experiences of consciousness, including sensations, feelings, volitions, apperception, and ideas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr7O41r8uEI

Answer 6

Student of Wundt • Englishman who completed PhD • at Leipzig • Moved to US to head new Dept • of Psych at Cornell University Edward Titchener (1867-1927) Goal (like Wundt): to learn about the structure of the mind through analysing elementary conscious experience =Structuralism **Titchener’s Structuralism** Adapted Wundt’s methods, using “analytical introspection” to study the structures of the mind  Elements of consciousness: sensation, images and affections (feelings) can be known by listing attributes  Decline of structuralism partly due to criticisms of introspection as an experimental method

Answer 7

**Functionalism - Father of modern psychology/industrial evolution** Opened small psychology lab at Harvard, but not a research scientist Functionalism: “What for” (i.e. function) of mind, NOT “What is” (i.e. structures) Consciousness evolved because it has a function—to help us in the struggle for survival ‘Principles of Psychology’ 1890 William James (1842-1910) AIM: To examine the purpose and functions of the mind Influenced by Darwin: behaviour can be understood in terms of its purpose Functionalism without analysing its mechanisms

Answer 8

Pavlov influenced by Russian physiologist Sechenov who had worked with Wundt Studied function of conditioned reflexes Lead to the development of a theory of learning known as classical conditioning Classic example of pairing a bell (CS) and meat (UCS) to produce the conditioned response salivation

Answer 9

Performed systematic experiments on the learning process (Columbia University, USA)  Studied S-R connections by observing the learned behaviour of cats in puzzle boxes  http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=BDujDOLre-8  Law of Effect  Animal research - Darwin

Answer 10

Behaviourist Manifesto (1913): \* The rejection of introspection \* Emphasis on objectivity \* Prediction and control \* Use of animals Environment was everything Watson’s behaviourism Described relationship between environment (stimulus) and behaviour (response) • Made claims about the importance of education over inherited characteristics and instincts • Study of Little Albert and the white rat demonstrated the view of phobias as conditioned fear responses

Answer 11

Return to radical behaviourism • Skinner similarly emphasised • observation and control • Also argued that psychological • studies should only focus on • objective and measurable phenomena • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I\_ctJqjlrHA B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) Skinnerian Behaviourism: All behaviour is determined by its consequences Described relationship between environment (stimulus) and behaviour (response) • Made claims about the importance of education over inherited characteristics and instincts • Study of Little Albert and the white rat demonstrated the view of phobias as conditioned fear responses http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMnhyGozLyE

Answer 12

Psychoanalysis Founder of psychoanalysis:  Emphasizes the role of unconscious processes **Theory of personality**  Id – pleasure principle  Ego – reality principle  Superego – morality **Psychosexual stages of development** ![]() ![]() *Some criticisms of Freud’s work: • Lack of falsifiability • Dogmatic, non-experimental approach • Definition of terms • Too much emphasis on sex as motivation Neo-Freudians: New Directions • Anna Freud and Melanie Klein applied psychoanalysis to children • Development of attachment theory (Bowlby & Ainsworth) • Karen Horney - emphasized cultural influences*

Answer 13

Gestalt psychology focuses on ‘wholes’ not parts or elements of experience, the “whole is more than the sum of the parts”  Interested in how we organise our perception of the world – as humans we tend to “fill in the blanks  Köhler emphasised a “top-down” approach which aims to achieve closure and completion  Principles of organization  Figure / ground distinction  Insight learning in chimpanzees ***\*\*\*\*Also this time Koffka 1846-1891*** ![]()

Science & History Flashcards

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