History of Psychology Modern History History of Psychology

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History of Psychology Modern History

History of Psychology Modern History

History of Psychology “Psychology has a long past, but only a short history” -

History of Psychology “Psychology has a long past, but only a short history” - Hermann Ebbinghaus (1908)

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

Voluntarism • Founder: Wilhelm Wundt • Goals: – To understand how Voluntary Action is

Voluntarism • Founder: Wilhelm Wundt • Goals: – To understand how Voluntary Action is formed – To discover the basic elements of thought – To discover how the laws that operate on elements of thought combine to form more complex mental processes

Voluntarism • Founder: Wilhelm Wundt • Goals: – To understand how Voluntary Action is

Voluntarism • Founder: Wilhelm Wundt • Goals: – To understand how Voluntary Action is formed – To discover the basic elements of thought – To discover how the laws that operate on elements of thought combine to form more complex mental processes

The Thought Meter • A pendulum (B) was arranged along a calibrated scale (M),

The Thought Meter • A pendulum (B) was arranged along a calibrated scale (M), and set to ding at points (d) and (b). • Wundt would get people to watch the scale and note the position of the pendulum whenever they heard a ding.

The Thought Meter • Wundt noted that people were consistently 1/10 th of a

The Thought Meter • Wundt noted that people were consistently 1/10 th of a second off when noting the position of the pendulum at the sound of the ding.

The Thought Meter • From his experiments, Wundt concluded that one could either attend

The Thought Meter • From his experiments, Wundt concluded that one could either attend to the position of the pendulum, or to the position of the bell, but not both at the same time. • Furthermore, it took approximately 1/10 th of a second to voluntarily change our attentional focus from one thing to another. • Much of Wundt’s research focused on voluntary decisions, hence his paradigm is called Voluntarism.

Voluntary Action • Wundt believed that voluntary action (what we might call choice) was

Voluntary Action • Wundt believed that voluntary action (what we might call choice) was what defined Psychology as a topic of study. • Our behaviors are sometimes chosen, not merely reflexive.

Causation • Wundt held a unique perspective. • He accepted that causation existed, and

Causation • Wundt held a unique perspective. • He accepted that causation existed, and the physical world was lawful. – e. g. , If I line up a row of dominoes and tip the first, they will all fall down, fully obeying the laws of physics.

Causation • Despite accepting Causality, he argued that mental events could not be described

Causation • Despite accepting Causality, he argued that mental events could not be described in terms of causation. • Why? – To establish causality, we must be able to: • 1) Observe an event (cause) • 2) Observe a second event (effect) that immediately follows • 3) Rule out all extraneous reasons for the second event occuring (e. g. , a gust a of wind blew the second domino over!) – However the effects of psychological causes are delayed (remember the thought meter? ). – This means a mental event never immediately follows its cause, so we can never be 100% certain which of the previous possibly infinite mental events was the real cause.

Causation • The effects of psychological events can be observed (i. e. , we

Causation • The effects of psychological events can be observed (i. e. , we can observe someone making a choice). • However, due to the delay between psychological cause and effect, we cannot study psychology in terms of causation. • Despite this, psychological causes can be introduced and effects can be observed.

Voluntarism • Founder: Wilhelm Wundt • Goals: – To understand how Voluntary Action is

Voluntarism • Founder: Wilhelm Wundt • Goals: – To understand how Voluntary Action is formed – To discover the basic elements of thought – To discover how the laws that operate on elements of thought combine to form more complex mental processes

Sensations and Feelings • According to Wundt, sensations and feelings are the two basic

Sensations and Feelings • According to Wundt, sensations and feelings are the two basic types of mental experiences • Sensations: – Can be described in terms of modality (visual, auditory, tactile, etc) – And intensity (how bright, how loud, how sharp) • Feelings: – Accompany sensations, and describe how pleasant/unpleasant, excitable/calming, strained/relaxed the sensation is.

Sensations and Feelings • Sensations begin psychological events. • Example from the Thought Meter:

Sensations and Feelings • Sensations begin psychological events. • Example from the Thought Meter: – – – – A bell vibrates, which causes The sense of a ding, which causes Some unknown mental event, which causes … Some unknown mental event, which causes The choice of the participant to shift attention to the position of the pendulum.

Introspection • Wundt utilized experimental introspection to discover elements of thought. • Wundt is

Introspection • Wundt utilized experimental introspection to discover elements of thought. • Wundt is often misattributed as using pure introspection in his research. This is wrong!

Pure Introspection • Pure Introspection – Relatively unstructured, freeform self-observation – e. g. ,

Pure Introspection • Pure Introspection – Relatively unstructured, freeform self-observation – e. g. , “hmm, my stomach is growling. I notice I feel unhappy. When I think back to other times my stomach has been growling, I have been unhappy then too! I wonder if these things are related? ”

Experimental Introspection • Experimental Introspection – Directed, binary, and replicable • Example: – Researcher:

Experimental Introspection • Experimental Introspection – Directed, binary, and replicable • Example: – Researcher: “Have you eaten today? ” – Participant: Yes/No – Researcher: “Do you feel pain in your stomach? ” – Participant: Yes/No – Researcher 5 days later: “Have you Eaten Today? ” –…

Wundt’s Approach • Wundt was interested in taking an Experimental Approach in understanding Psychology.

Wundt’s Approach • Wundt was interested in taking an Experimental Approach in understanding Psychology. • This requires: – Objective observation (i. e. , measured from a source outside the system generating the behavior) – Observations can be repeated on separate occasions • Experimental Introspection provides these things, whereas Pure Introspection does not

Introspection • Why does the distinction matter? – Despite believing cause and effect could

Introspection • Why does the distinction matter? – Despite believing cause and effect could not be applied to Psychology, Wundt still believed that mental processes were lawful (just really complicated and likely impossible to measure directly). – If we are to understand lawful processes, rigorous, repeatable methods of observation must be employed. – Pure introspection, though informative, is not rigorous and definitely not repeatable!

Misinterpretations • Psychology gained immense popularity in America and England during Wundt’s time •

Misinterpretations • Psychology gained immense popularity in America and England during Wundt’s time • Many students from these countries would move to Germany to study with Wundt, and then take professorships at American universities • Most of Wundt’s students spoke poor German, which introduced a communication barrier • They would then be mostly cut off from European research after moving to America • This resulted in large misinterpretations of Wundt’s work during the following years, particularly with what he meant by “element of thought” and “introspection”

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals • Problems

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals • Problems

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals – To expand on Wundt’s work and

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals – To expand on Wundt’s work and catalog the basic mental elements that account for all of conscious experience • Problems

Structuralism • The goal of structuralism was to create a psychological equivalent of the

Structuralism • The goal of structuralism was to create a psychological equivalent of the periodic table of elements. • Structuralism wanted to identify the complete set of basic elements that compose conscious experience. • Structuralism approached this task through introspection

Introspection • Unlike Wundt who employed empirical introspection, structuralists used pure introspection. • Method:

Introspection • Unlike Wundt who employed empirical introspection, structuralists used pure introspection. • Method: – Researchers would relax and think of a simple object, such as an apple, and then reflect on all of the basic qualities that consciously could not be reduced to something simpler. – For example, a researcher might report the curvature, and the color, of an apple, but not the fact that it has a stem, since that can be reduced to a collection of curves.

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals • Problems – Lack of Replicability –

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals • Problems – Lack of Replicability – Imageless Thought

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals • Problems – Lack of Replicability –

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals • Problems – Lack of Replicability – Imageless Thought

Lack of Replicability • One major problem with structuralism was that its findings were

Lack of Replicability • One major problem with structuralism was that its findings were very hard to replicate. • If two researchers were to sit down and be asked separately to list the elements of the same object, they would come up with different properties. • Often, this would result in unresolvable arguments between researchers about who was correct (if either one was) rather than any substantial progress being made.

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals • Problems – Lack of Replicability –

Structuralism • Founder: Edward Titchener • Goals • Problems – Lack of Replicability – Imageless Thought

Imageless Thought • Some thoughts aren’t accompanied by any definable mental elements – e.

Imageless Thought • Some thoughts aren’t accompanied by any definable mental elements – e. g. , If you ask someone to add 10 and 5, most will quickly respond 15, but be unable to tell you how that number came to mind • This was taken to mean there must be more to psychological experience than Structuralism’s basic elements • Structuralism was ultimately viewed as a dead end.

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

Functionalism • Functionalism was largely a reaction to the failings of Structuralism • It

Functionalism • Functionalism was largely a reaction to the failings of Structuralism • It had many contributors, and because of this did not have well-defined goals • However, common themes ran through the work of functionalist researchers: – Primarily: • An interest in “how” and “why” thought is the way it is, rather than “what” it is composed of • Pragmatic goals rather than purely academic goals • An interest in both mind and behavior, not just mind

William James • Major Contributions: – Stream of Consciousness – Pragmatism

William James • Major Contributions: – Stream of Consciousness – Pragmatism

William James • Major Contributions: – Stream of Consciousness – Pragmatism

William James • Major Contributions: – Stream of Consciousness – Pragmatism

Stream of Consciousness • James developed a detailed and influential theory of consciousness •

Stream of Consciousness • James developed a detailed and influential theory of consciousness • It was opposed to the Voluntarism and Structuralist ideas of static “elements”

Stream of Consciousness • Key Points: – Consciousness is constantly changing – Consciousness is

Stream of Consciousness • Key Points: – Consciousness is constantly changing – Consciousness is selective – Consciousness is personal

Stream of Consciousness • Key Points: – Consciousness is constantly changing – Consciousness is

Stream of Consciousness • Key Points: – Consciousness is constantly changing – Consciousness is selective – Consciousness is personal

Stream of Consciousness • When we introspect, it becomes quickly evident that our thoughts

Stream of Consciousness • When we introspect, it becomes quickly evident that our thoughts are constantly changing • There is a continuous ebb and flow to consciousness, not a series of static “elements” like the Structuralists and Voluntarists believed • Since consciousness is continuous, it cannot be divided up for analysis Does this mean we cannot study consciousness? No! Why?

Stream of Consciousness • Key Points: – Consciousness is constantly changing – Consciousness is

Stream of Consciousness • Key Points: – Consciousness is constantly changing – Consciousness is selective – Consciousness is personal

Stream of Consciousness • We are not conscious of everything we could be conscious

Stream of Consciousness • We are not conscious of everything we could be conscious of • Consciousness requires attention – e. g. , writing this, I am aware of my computer in front of me and my book to the side. My TV plays on low volume in the background, which I am only now aware of as I lift my head from the computer screen. I could have being attention to this earlier, but instead I chose to focus on writing my slides.

Stream of Consciousness • Key Points: – Consciousness is constantly changing – Consciousness is

Stream of Consciousness • Key Points: – Consciousness is constantly changing – Consciousness is selective – Consciousness is personal

Stream of Consciousness • Consciousness is continuous, thus every future thought depends on what

Stream of Consciousness • Consciousness is continuous, thus every future thought depends on what came before • Therefore, to understand an individual’s conscious life, we must know their own personal idiosyncratic past history • As such, it is foolhardy to search for elements common to all minds, as the structuralists did.

Stream of Consciousness “Consciousness, then, does not appear to itself chopped up in bits.

Stream of Consciousness “Consciousness, then, does not appear to itself chopped up in bits. Such words as ‘chain’ or ‘train’ do not describe it fitly as it presents itself in the first instance. It is nothing jointed; it flows. A ‘river’ or a ‘stream’ are the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking hereafter, let us call it the stream of thought, of consciousness, or of subjective life. ” - William James (1890, Vol. 1, p. 239)

William James • Major Contributions: – Stream of Consciousness – Pragmatism

William James • Major Contributions: – Stream of Consciousness – Pragmatism

Pragmatism • Development of Pragmatism: – – – James’ upbringing James’ belief in Materialism

Pragmatism • Development of Pragmatism: – – – James’ upbringing James’ belief in Materialism James’ belief in lack of free will James’ depression that followed James’ attempt to deal with this depression

Development of Pragmatism • Trying to deal with his depression, James (1920) wrote in

Development of Pragmatism • Trying to deal with his depression, James (1920) wrote in his diary: – “I will assume for the present -- until next year -that [free will] is no illusion. My first act of free will shall be to believe in free will. … Hitherto, when I have felt like taking a free initiative, like daring to act originally, without carefully waiting for contemplation of the external world to determine all for me, suicide seemed the most manly form to put my daring into; now I will go a step further with my will, not only act with it, but believe as well; believe in my individual reality and creative power. ”

Pragmatism • Pragmatism is the belief that if an idea works, it is valid;

Pragmatism • Pragmatism is the belief that if an idea works, it is valid; ideas should only be judged in terms of their “cash-value”, or what they gain you.

James’ Approach • James used the scientific method and philosophical inquiry to understand psychology

James’ Approach • James used the scientific method and philosophical inquiry to understand psychology • He recognized that each of these methods was limited, but in different ways. – The scientific method was limited in answering ‘big’ questions like “why do we have emotions? ” – Philosophical inquiry is limited in understanding how basic processes work, like chemical or biological reactions • James took a pragmatic approach to Psychology: each method of understanding has its own value, and we should use whichever has more value for the question at hand. Neither is better than the other, simply different.

James’ Late Work • James believed in Radical Empiricism: – All consistently reported aspects

James’ Late Work • James believed in Radical Empiricism: – All consistently reported aspects of human experience are worthy of study • This is opposed to Logical Positivism, which was a dominant belief at the time: – If a statement cannot be verified as true or false with empirical data or analytic process (math), it is meaningless • James’ views led him to write on many topics other scientists would not touch, such as ethics, religion, faith healing, and the existence of spirits and ghosts!

James’ Late Work • Much of James’ late work went nowhere. • However the

James’ Late Work • Much of James’ late work went nowhere. • However the more important point is that James’ beliefs led him to the perspective that: – “our interests should determine the methods we use” • Rather than: – “our available methods should determine what we are interested in” • It is this mentality that lead to the development of modern scientific methods and theories in Psychology.

Edward Thorndike • Major Contributions: – The Law of Effect

Edward Thorndike • Major Contributions: – The Law of Effect

The Law of Effect • Behavior changes because of its consequences – A behavior

The Law of Effect • Behavior changes because of its consequences – A behavior that leads to a satisfying state of affairs will be more likely to occur again – A behavior that leads to a dissatisfying state of affairs will be less likely to occur again

The Law of Effect • Thorndike demonstrated the Law of Effect in his research

The Law of Effect • Thorndike demonstrated the Law of Effect in his research on Cats – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=BDuj. DOLre-8 • This suggested that animals, not just humans, engaged in complex psychological processes such as learning and, more importantly, these processes could be studied empirically.

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

Behaviorism • A few events influenced behaviorism’s emergence: – Psychologists were frustrated by the

Behaviorism • A few events influenced behaviorism’s emergence: – Psychologists were frustrated by the lack of progress on understanding the mind – Interesting advancements were being made in animal physiology – Animals could be taught complex behaviors without even referring to their ‘minds’ • Behaviorists focused on how the environment shapes our behavior, and ignored mental processes

Pre-Behaviorism • Ivan Pavlov was a physiologist studying how the digestive tract worked •

Pre-Behaviorism • Ivan Pavlov was a physiologist studying how the digestive tract worked • However, his dogs began producing some interesting behavior!

Pavlov’s Dog • Demonstrations: – http: //vimeo. com/5371237 – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Cpo.

Pavlov’s Dog • Demonstrations: – http: //vimeo. com/5371237 – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Cpo. Lx. EN 54 ho • Key Terms: – Stimulus: Sensory input from the Environment – Response: A reflexive action or physiological change elicited by a stimulus How are these terms similar to Wundt’s “sensations” and “voluntary action”? How are they different?

Behaviorism • John Watson • Believed behavior was heavily influenced by the environment •

Behaviorism • John Watson • Believed behavior was heavily influenced by the environment • Major Contributions: – Baby Albert

Little Albert • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=0 FKZAYt 77 ZM&feature=related • Main points:

Little Albert • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=0 FKZAYt 77 ZM&feature=related • Main points: – Behavior is heavily influenced by the environment – Learned behavior generalizes to similar circumstances

Behaviorism • Burrhus Skinner • Major Contribution: – Reinforcement

Behaviorism • Burrhus Skinner • Major Contribution: – Reinforcement

Reinforcement • The concept of reinforcement states: – The consequences of a behavior determine

Reinforcement • The concept of reinforcement states: – The consequences of a behavior determine whether it will be more or less likely to occur again • Remember Thorndike’s law of Effect? – A behavior that leads to a satisfying state of affairs will be more likely to occur again – A behavior that leads to a dissatisfying state of affairs will be less likely to occur again How are these concepts similar? How are they different?

Conditioning • Humans and other animals can be conditioned to perform an action more

Conditioning • Humans and other animals can be conditioned to perform an action more often by reinforcing it when it occurs • Pigeons can be taught to turn in a circle: – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ttf. Qlk. Gw. E 2 U&f eature=related • And even play ping-pong! – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=v. Gazy. H 6 f. QQ 4

Conditioning Complex Behavior • We can’t tell pigeons “go play ping-pong and I’ll give

Conditioning Complex Behavior • We can’t tell pigeons “go play ping-pong and I’ll give you a snack!” – (well we can, but they wouldn’t understand) • To condition complex behavior: – First break the behavior into simple steps • Peck at a ball • Peck a ball toward another bird • Peck a ball off a table where another bird is – Use reinforcement on each step until it has been fully conditioned, then move to the next step

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – Voluntarism Structuralism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology • We will talk about Gestalt Psychology later – Psychoanalysis – Cognitive Psychology – Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – Voluntarism Structuralism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis • Same with Psycholanalysis – Cognitive Psychology – Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

Read This • http: //penta. ufrgs. br/edu/telelab/2/war-of-t. htm

Read This • http: //penta. ufrgs. br/edu/telelab/2/war-of-t. htm

Cognitive Psychology • Behaviorism dominated Psychology from around 1920 - 1950 • However it

Cognitive Psychology • Behaviorism dominated Psychology from around 1920 - 1950 • However it seemed incapable of a few things: – It could not explain why some things can be associated easier than others (e. g. , nausea with food vs. nausea with a light) – It could not explain processes that commonly generated unique, unreinforced behaviors such as never-before-said sentences in language – It told us nothing about the mind, which many Psychologists were still deeply interested in

Cognitive Psychology • Then came a very important invention…

Cognitive Psychology • Then came a very important invention…

Cognitive Psychology • Computers could: – Store information – Make decisions based on this

Cognitive Psychology • Computers could: – Store information – Make decisions based on this information – Distinguish between different shapes and colors • They seemed like rudimentary minds! • Best of all, we had easy access to their wiring and could understand how they produce mind -like behavior • Cognitive Psychology was born with the computer, and focused on treating the mind as if it were an elaborate computer

Cognitive Psychology • Early Cognitive Psychologists would: – Write computer programs – Observe them

Cognitive Psychology • Early Cognitive Psychologists would: – Write computer programs – Observe them producing “thoughtful” behavior – Describe the rules that the programs followed to produce the behavior • They would also: – Find humans – Observe them producing “thoughtful” behavior – Describe possible rules that could be used to produce this behavior

Cognitive Psychology • The mind is a series of “rules” that are followed to

Cognitive Psychology • The mind is a series of “rules” that are followed to produce behavior. The goal of Cognitive Psychology is to uncover these rules

Pattern Matching • Computers can be programmed to perceive and think about their world.

Pattern Matching • Computers can be programmed to perceive and think about their world. Cognitive Psychology argues that how they do this may give insights into how animals do it too: – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=b. NAn. Uygq. OYc&feature=r elated

Robots • It has been observed that placing simple agents in rich environments can

Robots • It has been observed that placing simple agents in rich environments can lead to complex and “intelligent” behavior: – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=p. PTQ 4 Dcd. Ae. E &feature=related – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=y 3 W 8 dm 5 Jx. Fc • We sometimes also sympathize with their “dumb” behavior when it appears lifelike: – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=c 3 s 0 Bj. Hv. Rfc&fe ature=related

Chatterbots • Chatterbots were an early demonstration of how detailed conversations could be constructed

Chatterbots • Chatterbots were an early demonstration of how detailed conversations could be constructed from simple syntactic rules. • Examples: – http: //www. manifestation. com/neurotoys/eliza. php 3 – http: //www. jabberwacky. com/ – http: //www. stanford. edu/group/SHR/4 -2/text/dialogues. html

Artificial Intelligence • As computers are used to do more complicated things, they make

Artificial Intelligence • As computers are used to do more complicated things, they make weirder and weirder errors: – http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Y 2 w. QQ-x. SE 4 s

Memory Test • Try to recall the story you read earlier. Don’t peek! After

Memory Test • Try to recall the story you read earlier. Don’t peek! After you are done, compare and look for your errors: • http: //penta. ufrgs. br/edu/telelab/2/war-of-t. htm

Memory • Computers store information, and so do humans • How they store and

Memory • Computers store information, and so do humans • How they store and later access this information is different though • While it may be useful to try and uncover the rules that describe how our minds work, these rules will likely be very different from the types computers follow to do the same thing

Human vs. Computer • It has been observed that the more “intelligent” we try

Human vs. Computer • It has been observed that the more “intelligent” we try to make computers, the less “lifelike” they become • This may suggest the mental rules we follow are actually quite simple

Cognitive Psychology • Cognitive Psychology is an approach that is still very popular today.

Cognitive Psychology • Cognitive Psychology is an approach that is still very popular today. • Most psychologists do not literally think the mind is like a desktop computer • However, they do believe the mind can be described in terms of rules, and we should try to figure out what these rules are

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Already falling behind! Cutting this section. • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology – Ancient Greece – Post-Renaissance

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology – Ancient Greece – Post-Renaissance

Plato • 424 -347 B. C. • Contributions: – Theory of Forms

Plato • 424 -347 B. C. • Contributions: – Theory of Forms

Plato • 424 -347 B. C. • Contributions: – Theory of Forms

Plato • 424 -347 B. C. • Contributions: – Theory of Forms

Plato’s Theory of Forms • There are two worlds: – The empirical – The

Plato’s Theory of Forms • There are two worlds: – The empirical – The abstract • The abstract is the set of “pure” ideas • The empirical is the physical world, and is a rough approximation of the abstract • Intellectual pursuits should focus on understanding the abstract world

Plato’s Theory of Forms • There are two worlds: – The empirical – The

Plato’s Theory of Forms • There are two worlds: – The empirical – The abstract • The abstract is the set of “pure” ideas • The empirical is the physical world, and is a rough approximation of the abstract • Intellectual pursuits should focus on understanding the abstract world

Empirical vs. Abstract • The abstract is defined in terms of laws that hold

Empirical vs. Abstract • The abstract is defined in terms of laws that hold absolutely • The empirical world reflects the abstract, but is not a “pure” copy

Plato’s Theory of Forms • There are two worlds: – The empirical – The

Plato’s Theory of Forms • There are two worlds: – The empirical – The abstract • The abstract is the set of “pure” ideas • The empirical is the physical world, and is a rough approximation of the abstract • Intellectual pursuits should focus on understanding the abstract world

Understanding The World • We should understand the world through mathematics and reason •

Understanding The World • We should understand the world through mathematics and reason • We should ignore the physical world, because it is impure and misleading • Objective observation is less valuable than thought • How does this relate to: – Structuralism – Cognitive Psychology

Aristotle • 384 - 322 B. C. • Student of Plato with very different

Aristotle • 384 - 322 B. C. • Student of Plato with very different beliefs! • Contributions: – Aristotle’s four causes

Aristotle • 384 - 322 B. C. • Student of Plato with very different

Aristotle • 384 - 322 B. C. • Student of Plato with very different beliefs! • Contributions: – Aristotle’s four causes

Understanding the World • Aristotle believes: – There is only the physical world, and

Understanding the World • Aristotle believes: – There is only the physical world, and no “abstract” – The physical world is composed of matter and motion – Are senses are trustworthy – Objective observation is more valuable than subjective observation

Aristotle • 384 - 322 B. C. • Student of Plato with very different

Aristotle • 384 - 322 B. C. • Student of Plato with very different beliefs! • Contributions: – Aristotle’s four causes

The Four Causes • Aristotle says to truly understand something, we must know its

The Four Causes • Aristotle says to truly understand something, we must know its four causes: – – Material: What is it made of? Formal: What is its shape? Efficient: What energy made it take its form? Final Cause: For what purpose does it exist?

The Four Causes • What would Aristotle’s causes for this statue be?

The Four Causes • What would Aristotle’s causes for this statue be?

The Four Causes • How about for this tree?

The Four Causes • How about for this tree?

The Four Causes • What about for this guy?

The Four Causes • What about for this guy?

The Four Causes • Most Sub-Disciplines in Psychology can be seen as trying to

The Four Causes • Most Sub-Disciplines in Psychology can be seen as trying to understand one or two of Aristotle’s four causes – Cognitive Psychology – Functionalism – Behaviorism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism

History • We will discuss the history of Psychology – – – – Voluntarism Structuralism Functionalism Behaviorism Gestalt Psychology Psychoanalysis Cognitive Psychology Neuroscience • Then cover key points in the history of psychology – Ancient Greece – Post-Renaissance

The Individual Difference • 1795, Maskelyne & Assistant Kinnebrook trying to set a ship’s

The Individual Difference • 1795, Maskelyne & Assistant Kinnebrook trying to set a ship’s clock according to when a particular star crosses a hairline in a telescope • Maskelyne notices that Kinnebrook’s observations are appx. 1/2 sec slower than his own • Kinnebrook is warned…

The Individual Difference • …Kinnebrook tries to correct the issue • But his errors

The Individual Difference • …Kinnebrook tries to correct the issue • But his errors just become compounded, now he is 8/10 sec off! • Kinnebrook relieved of duty because of “incompetence”

The Individual Difference • 1815, Friedrich Bessel hears of the astronomer incident • Suggests

The Individual Difference • 1815, Friedrich Bessel hears of the astronomer incident • Suggests discrepancy is not incompetence but “individual difference” • Goes on to demonstrate individuals vary on a range of basic tasks

The Individual Difference • Bessel argues that subjective experience is different from objective reality

The Individual Difference • Bessel argues that subjective experience is different from objective reality • The study of how external stimulation is converted to mental experience suddenly becomes very important!

Psychophysics • Ernst Weber • Although subjective experience and objective reality are different, they

Psychophysics • Ernst Weber • Although subjective experience and objective reality are different, they are lawfully related • Contribution: – Just Noticeable Difference

Just Noticeable Difference • With a partner: – Tell your partner to close their

Just Noticeable Difference • With a partner: – Tell your partner to close their eyes – Poke each other with 1 vs 2 pencils – When using 2, vary the spacing between the pencils – See how well your partner can distinguish between being poked with 1 vs 2 pencils – Be gentle! – Try on back of hand, palm of hand, finger tips, forehead (if you trust each other!)

Just Noticeable Difference • Different body parts have different sensitivity to pressure

Just Noticeable Difference • Different body parts have different sensitivity to pressure