Psychology 1000 Sept 14 th History of Psychology: The Philosophical Roots Early Greeks and other ancients Humans and Gods were quite separate from other living things. Humans and gods reasoned about the world. Animals behaved instinctively without reason. Aristotle Naturalist: placed humans at the top of a Scale of Intelligence. Rene Descartes (1596-650) If I m thinking about my existence, therefore I exist. I think, therefore I am Reason VS Instinct A problem remained: Some human behavior is instinctive (just like animals) Other behavior is based on reason. Descarte s solution: A distinction between the mind and the body. The Mind-Body Problem Pineal Gland: The intersection of mind and body. (Only have one) Dualism lives on After Descartes, the study of the Mind became a topic for Philosophy. And the study of the body became the topic for Physiology Psychology evolved from both philosophy and Physiology What is Psychology? The science of behavior and the mind. - Science based on observable facts. Show me the evidence - Behavoir observable actions of a person or animal. - The mind ** thoughts, feelings, sensations ** perception, memories, dreams.
Monism ** motives and other subjective experiences. The mind and the body are one. Mental events are physical events in the brain. Events in the brain: love, happiness, learning, ect. Debate between: Nature VS. Nuture Empiricists Nativists Behavior is shaped by experience Behavior is largely inborn - Experience writes on the empty slate of the mind. (important) Tabula rasa Deny the influence of genetic factors Like so many things, the truth lies somewhere in between these two positions. Six Perspectives. 1. Biological Perspective 2. Behavioural Perspective 3. Cognitive Perspective 4. Psychodynamic Perspective 5. Humanist Perspective 6. Sociocultural Perspective Question and Discussion: Why did the Chicken cross the road? 1. Biological Perspective: Natural selection, eggs on the other side. 2. Behavioural Perspective: Chicken was rewarded for crossing the road, learning from other chickens. 3. Cognitive Perspective: Thought about it, might have remembered what happened last time. 4. Psychodynamic Perspective: Chickens childhood experiences. 5. Humanist Perspective: Gave the chicken selfworth. 6. Sociocultural Perspective: Social outcast. Answer: Why did the chicken cross the road? 1. From the Biological Perspective The neurons on her motor strip fired.
Focuses on the part of the brain associated with the motor activity. Galvani frog legs Brain experiments electrical current, lesions/damage (Lashley, Broca) Charles Darwin Natural selection: Survival of the fittest Individuals who are best suited for their environment pass their genes along the next generation. Nothing special about humans Humans can be studied scientifically 2. From the behavioral perspective She has been reinforced in the past for crossing the road. Focuses on how the environment has shaped the chicken s behavior. Watson and Skinner Observable behavior was important not mental events. Behavior controlled by environment - Control environment then control behavior Reward and Punishment - Behavior modification. - Bribery - Rewards motivate good behavior 3. From the cognitive perspective. She wanted to cross the road Focuses on a conscious cognitive motive or want for the behavior Wilhelm Wundt Father of Psychology First psychology lab and first psychology textbook Wanted to study timing of elementary mental processes - Systematic - How long did it take to react? Structuralism analysis of mental processes into basic elements Introspection - self-observation Functionalism - Included biological and mental processes as well Behavior - Influenced by Darwin to focus on
- examining your own basic thoughts how behaviors help us adapt to the environment Gestalt Psychology - Whole is different from the sum of the parts. - Perceiving relationships: Insight learning (Looking at a problem and being able to create a solution) Kohler showed that animals exhibit insight Piaget: Cognitive development Do children think the same as adults? Modern Cognitive Science The brain as a computer Artificial Intelligence Began with work on memory - Donald Hebb s cell assembly - Connections strengthened with repeated usage Neurons that fire together, wire together. Eventually led to: - Cognitive Neuroscience - The study of cognitive functions in the brain. - Behavioral Neuroscience 4. From the psychodynamic perspective. She has a death wish Focuses on an unconscious motive Sigmund Freud Importance of unconscious processes Impact of early childhood experiences 5. From the humanist perspective. It doesn t matter..chickens aren t humans! Focusing upon the uniquely human qualities of the question. Emphasizes: - Conscious motives (vs unconscious) - Freedom (free will) - Choice
- Self-actualization (reaching one s individual potential) 6. From the sociocultural perspective It all depends; is it an Asian, European, or south American chicken? Focuses upon the unique elements of the chicken s culture and how they influence behavior. Individualism Collectivism North America and Northern Europe Asia, Africa, and South America Emphasize personal goals Individual goals subordinate to group Self-identity based on one s own attributes/achievements. Personal identity defined by ties to family Biological Behavioural Cognitive Psychodynamic Humanistic Sociocultural Brain Learned Though Unconscious Striving to Importance of Processes behavior processes processes achieve cultural beliefs Who is a Psychologist? Usually has Ph.D in Psychology from accredited graduate school. Psychiatry VS Psychology Psychiatrists - MD Plus training in treatment of medical disorders May prescribe drugs for patients OHIP Psychologists - PhD Clinical Psychologists mental disorders May not prescribe drugs Not covered over OHIP Exam Question: Which of the following perspectives would be the least likely to focus on internal causes of behaviour? A. Structuralism B. Psychodynamic C. Behaviourism D. Functionalism E. Cognitive Answer: Behaviourism