MODERN PSYCHOLOGIST

WILLHELM WUNDT Considered the founder of scientific psychology Interested in the speed of mental processes Used reaction-time tests to determine the amount of time it took to perform cognitive tasks. Basis for cognitive psychology

WILHELM WUNDT "we learn little about our minds from casual, haphazard self- observation...It is essential that observations be made by trained observers under carefully specified conditions for the purpose of answering a well-defined question

EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY BEGINS WITH STRUCTURALISM Edward Titchener used methods such as introspection to develop a new school of thought that became known as structuralism. The basic idea of structuralism is that conscious experience can be studied when it is broken down into its underlying components or elements. Focused on sensation using introspection

1. Be impartial. Do not form a preconceived idea of what you are going to find by the experiment; do not hope or expect to find this or that process. Take consciousness as it is. 2. Be attentive. Do not speculate as to what you are doing or why you are doing it, as to its value or uselessness, during the experiment. Take the experiment seriously. 3. Be comfortable. Do not begin to introspect till all the conditions are satisfactory; do not work if you feel nervous or irritated, if the chair is too high or the table too low for you, if you have a cold or a headache. Take the experiment pleasantly. 4. Be perfectly fresh. Stop working the moment that you feel tired or jaded. Take the experiment vigorously. RULES OF INTROSPECTION

WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS WITH THE METHOD OF INTROSPECTION? The problem with this approach is that experience is subjective. Each person brings to introspection a unique perceptual system, and it is difficult to determine whether subjects are using the criteria in a similar way. Accordingly over the course of time introspection was largely abandoned in psychology.

FUNCTIONALISM ADDRESSES THE PURPOSE OF BEHAVIOR Functionalism, was more concerned with how the mind operates than with what the mind contains. The mind came into existence over the course of human evolution, and it works the way it does because it is useful for preserving life and passing along genes to future generations

WILLIAM JAMES AND FUNCTIONALISM Inspired by biology, Darwinism What is the purpose of the behavior? Focused on the purpose and function of the mind. Behaviors serve “adaptive” function Influenced by Darwin Paid lip service to the experimental method, but relied on introspection

FUNCTIONALISM (WILLIAM JAMES) – Functionalism was concerned with the what and why of the mind, not the structure – -Drew on the principles of Charles Darwin. – -James himself was known more for his awesome lectures at Harvard than his lab work

WILLIAM JAMES A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY Mind must be understood in terms of organized wholes, not parts. Looking at a duck, you first recognize it as “duck”, not a collection of wings, feathers, and a bill.

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY EMPHASIZES PATTERNS AND CONTEXT IN LEARNING

Psychodynamic Approach  Founded by Freud  Emphasizes unconscious motivations (often sexual) & early childhood experiences

3 LEVELS OF MIND Id Ego Superego

BEHAVIORISM Took over psychology for the first half of the 20 th century Experience “reinforces” behavior Possessed scientific qualities

Behaviorist Approach Skinner (“smiling”) Watson Rejected Freud’s dependence on unobservable phenomena Should study directly observable behaviors

 Displaced behaviorism  Focuses on ability to acquire, organize, remember, and use knowledge to guide behavior  Magic number 7 George Miller Cognitive Approach

MODERN PSYCHOLOGY Return to cognitive psychology in late 20 th century Cognition = mental processing Fundamental cognitive abilities