History of Psychology
Started as Philosophy Socrates & Plato Aristotle Mind and Body are Separate Knowledge is inborn Aristotle Mind & Body are One Knowledge grows from experiences & memories
Philosophical Developments A Question: How are mind and body related? BIG René Descartes (1596–1650) -Interactive Dualism The mind and body are separate but interact (fluids through the nerves) to produce conscious experience of sensations & emotions Keywords: dualism, Rene Descartes Graphic: picture of Descartes pg. 4 of Gray
Heading Towards a Science Francis Bacon & John Locke Both focus on how the mind is shaped by experience Led to EMPIRICISM – What we know comes from experience, therefore science should rely on observation & experimentation.
Physiology Influence Study of functions & parts of humans By 1600’s began to focus on brain Began to develop explanations for the functioning of the senses. Becomes foundation for psychology as a science
Psychology as Science is Born! The Science December 1879 Wilhelm Wundt
What is Psychology? The science of behavior and mental processes Behavior - observable actions of a person or animal Mental Processes - feelings, sensations, perceptions, memories, dreams, motives and other subjective experiences Science - an objective way to answer questions based on observable facts/data and well-described methods Goal of Psychology is to Describe, Explain & Predict behavior & mental processes. Keywords: behavior, mind, science
Wilhelm Wundt Leipzig, Germany The “father of psychology” Founder of modern psychology Opened the first psychology lab in 1879 Applied laboratory techniques to study of the mind/consciousness Who’s Your Daddy? Discovering Psy 2e p.4 Wilhelm Wundt (1832–1920)
E.B. Titchener Wundt’s student, Founder of structuralism Professor at Cornell University Analyzed the intensity, clarity and quality of the parts of consciousness Founder of structuralism P. 5. Discovering psy. E. B. Titchener (1867–1927)
Structuralism Studied the basic elements (structures) of thoughts and sensations (consciousness). Felt consciousness could be broken into 3 parts: physical sensations feelings images Introspection – subject would view an object and try to reconstruct their sensations & feelings they felt while viewing it. Not scientific – too subjective, not repeatable, not able to be used for studying all topics (learning, development, mental disorders).
William James First American psychologist Started psychology at Harvard in 1870s Opposed Wundt and Titchener’s approach Author of the first psychology textbook (Principles of Psychology - 1,400 pages!) Founder of Functionalism Functionalism – influenced by Darwin to focus on how behaviors help us adapt to the environment p. 5 Discovering psy William James (1842–1910)
Functionalism Emphasized studying the function of consciousness and how consciousness helped people adapt to their environment Wanted to understand how mind and consciousness worked Used naturalistic observation Viewed consciousness as a stream of constantly changing states .
Structuralism vs Functionalism review (2 min)
DAILY DOUBLE
Explain the difference between Structuralism & Functionalism. Structuralism – basic parts of a person’s thoughts and feelings. Focus on basic senses & perception. Functionalism – how our consciousness helps us to function or adapt to our environment.
William James’ Students G. Stanley Hall First Ph.D. in psych Started first U.S. psych lab Started the American Psychological Association. Mary Whiton Calkins First woman to complete Ph.D. program but Harvard didn’t give her a degree! Became first woman president of the APA in 1905 Margaret Floy Washburn First official Ph.D. in psychology Studied different animal species 2nd female president of APA
John B. Watson Founder of Behaviorism Studied only observable and objectively described acts Emphasized objective and scientific methodology Performed the Little Albert Classical Conditioning Study on Fear p. 8 Discovering psy John B. Watson (1878–1958)
B.F. Skinner Behaviorist American psychologist at Harvard Focused on learning through rewards and observation Operant Conditioning Studied learning of voluntary behavior and effect of reinforcement & punishment p. 8 Discovering psy B. F. Skinner (1904–1990)
Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) Behaviorist Russian Physiologist Studied learning through associations in dogs Classical Conditioning - Learning to do reflexive behaviors to unusual things Emphasized the study of observable behaviors Santa?
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Austrian physician that focused on illness Founder of the psychoanalytic perspective Believed that abnormal behavior originated from unconscious drives and conflicts that were aggressive and sexual in nature.
Freud’s Influence Influence on “pop culture” Freudian slips Anal-retentive Influence on psychology Psychodynamic theory Unconscious thoughts Significance of childhood experiences
Carl Rogers & Abraham Maslow (1902-1987) (1908-1970) Helped to create Humanistic Psychology Stressed the study of conscious experience and an individual’s free will to reach their potential Healthy individuals strive to reach their potential (self-actualized).
Wolfgang Kohler Created Gestalt Psychology The whole is different from the sum of its parts. Integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes. Wolfgang Kohler (1865-1965)
Scene from Ferris Bueller (start at 1:05) What do you see? You See the whole picture first rather than the individual dots that make it up. – Gestalt Psychology Scene from Ferris Bueller (start at 1:05)
Cognitive Neuroscience Combines the biological and cognitive schools of thought in psychology Study of the Brain and how it works when we perceive, think, remember and use language.