there was no science being done
mostly thinking about how the body works
how psychology of humans work
neuroscience and ideas of the brain/brains structure
2000 years
The philosophical study of the nature and origin of human knowledge
are the mind and body connected or separate?
are we born with our abilities, or do we acquire them?
(347 BCE)
As a nativist, developed the belief that knowledge and truth can be discovered by self-reflection.
He believed in Nature
Knowledge is innate
The Renaissance (15th to 17th Centuries)
(1596-1650) Revived Plato's concept of innate knowledge "I think therefore I am" All ideas come from God, not from within
Mind-body dualism and the pineal gland. He said that this is where the mind and soul are located. (This is not the case).
He revived Aristotle's concept of empiricism, and took it further by adding the claim that a newborn's mind is a "blank slate" (tabula rasa)
Innate characteristics and external experiences.
An assertion about the existence of physical, chemical, or biological patterns and/or processes.
They should be supported by numerous observations and experiments.
Theories can be supported, rejected, or modified with new scientific evidence. An example of this is Theory of Gravity, Cell Theory, Theory of Evolution, Theory of Conditioning.
Ask the question
Develop a hypothesis
Collect relevant observations
Test the hypothesis
Reach and share a conclusion
Structuralism
Functionalism
Behaviorism
Transition
Cognitivism
To identify the most fundamental elements of psychological experience (feelings, sensations, mental imagery)
They can be broken down into elementary components such as:
Products of physiological actions in the brain could be revealed by introspection.
This emphasized the importance of systematic observation in reporting psychology.
To understand the adaptive purposes of psychological characteristics (thoughts, feelings, behaviors)
Reproductive success refers to the achievement of optimal procreation, encompassing both an individual's own offspring (Darwinian fitness) and the offspring of genetically related individuals (indirect fitness). Thereby, highlighting the principle of kin selection in evolutionary theory.
The ability to survive to reproductive age, find a mate, and produce offspring.
The more offspring and organism produces during it's lifetime, the greater it's biological fitness.
Is defined by the number of offspring begotten by the genetic relatives of the individual.
Descendants of relatives share a proportion of copies of the individual's genes.
William James (1842-1910), who was very influenced by Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
Both competing views in the 1900's
Both very important in being the first attempts to apply the scientific method to psychology.
In reality, there were important bits and pieces to take from each school of thought.
Today, neither exist on their own, and have been "absorbed" into other branches of psychology.