History and Science of Psychology

historical roots of psychology (philosophy)

there was no science being done
mostly thinking about how the body works
how psychology of humans work

historical roots of psychology (biology)

neuroscience and ideas of the brain/brains structure

how long have humans been formally trying to understand psychology

2000 years

what is Epistemology?

The philosophical study of the nature and origin of human knowledge

monism vs dualism

are the mind and body connected or separate?

nativism vs empiricism

are we born with our abilities, or do we acquire them?

Plato

(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

Aristotle

what was the time when a number of philosophers stepped in called?

The Renaissance (15th to 17th Centuries)

Who is Rene Descartes, and what was his lifespan?

(1596-1650) Revived Plato's concept of innate knowledge "I think therefore I am" All ideas come from God, not from within

What did Rene Descartes come up with? What theory?

Mind-body dualism and the pineal gland. He said that this is where the mind and soul are located. (This is not the case).

What concept did John Locke (1632-1704) come up with, and how did he take it further?

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)

what 2 factors play a role in shaping all behavior?

Innate characteristics and external experiences.

Define "Theory"

An assertion about the existence of physical, chemical, or biological patterns and/or processes.

What/how should we support theories?

They should be supported by numerous observations and experiments.

What can theories be? And what is an example of this?

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.

What are the 5 steps to a modern scientific approach of understanding behavior?

Ask the question
Develop a hypothesis
Collect relevant observations
Test the hypothesis
Reach and share a conclusion

What 5 major divisions led to modern psychology?

Structuralism
Functionalism
Behaviorism
Transition
Cognitivism

Define the aim of structuralism

To identify the most fundamental elements of psychological experience (feelings, sensations, mental imagery)

How can psychological processes be broken down? What does it emphasize?

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.

Define the aim of Functionalism

To understand the adaptive purposes of psychological characteristics (thoughts, feelings, behaviors)

How do psychological processes benefit our survival and/or reproductive success?

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.

What is Darwinian fitness?

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.

What is indirect 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.

Who pioneered the term functionalism?

William James (1842-1910), who was very influenced by Darwin's Theory of Evolution.

Structuralism vs Functionalism

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.