Positivism, Karl Hempel, and the Neurological View of Psychology

Vocabulary flashcards covering the philosophical roots of positivism, Karl Hempel's models of scientific explanation and confirmation, and the emergence of the neurological approach to psychology.

Positivism

A 19th century

A philosophical movement asserting that authentic knowledge is exclusively derived from empirical evidence and logical or mathematical reasoning.

Core Principles of Positivism

The rejection of metaphysics, a strict focus on observable phenomena, and the belief that science is the only valid path to knowledge.

Empiricism

A philosophical foundation holding that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience and observable data, rejecting the existence of innate ideas.

Solipsism

The philosophical position that only one's self exists and no one else exists.

Rationalism

The belief that human reason has the capacity to explain nature and society.

Secularism

A shift away from theological and religious explanations toward naturalistic, scientific accounts of the world.

Mechanistic Worldview

The perspective that the universe operates like a machine governed by predictable, natural laws.

Determinism

The principle that natural forces and events follow predictable patterns that can be investigated scientifically.

Reductionism

The method of understanding complex phenomena by breaking them down into their simplest component parts.

Karl Hempel

A prominent 20th-century philosopher of science who developed formal models of scientific explanation emphasizing clarity, logical structure, and empirical verification.

Scientific Research Cycle (Hempel)

A continuous six-step process consisting of: Step 1 (Formulate a Hypothesis), Step 2 (Identify Initial Conditions), Step 3 (Deduce Predictions), Step 4 (Test the Predictions), Step 5 (Confirm or Refine the Hypothesis), and Step 6 (Repeat the Process).

Theory Confirmation (Hempel)

The gathering of successful empirical instances of a theory's predictions, which increases the likelihood that the theory is correct without ever establishing absolute certainty.

Deductive-Nomological (DN) Model

A model of scientific explanation where a proposed general law and specified initial conditions are combined to deduce a testable prediction formatted as an 'if… then' statement.

Hempel's Conclusion on Scientific Truth

Scientists can never be completely certain that a theory is true, but continuous successful confirmations incrementally bring it closer to the truth.

Neurological View of Psychology

A 19th-century transition away from introspection, framing psychological phenomena, cognition, and behavior as biological processes driven by the brain and nervous system.

Positivism's Impact on Psychology

Steered the discipline away from first-person introspection and abstract consciousness toward measurable, observable behavior and empirical brain mapping.