Pioneering Concepts in Learning

Flashcards covering pioneering concepts in learning, including structuralism, functionalism, the habit loop, and early psychophysics with key terms like Wundt, Baldwin, introspection, sensation, perception, absolute threshold, difference threshold, JND, and Weber's Law.

Wilhelm Wundt

A German scientist (1832-1920) fascinated by anatomy and the ‘mysteries of the brain’.

Structuralism

A school of thought in psychology that viewed psychological processes as products of physiological actions in the brain, aiming to understand the mind by breaking it down into elementary parts.

Introspectionism

A method used in structuralism involving self-observation and reporting to break down conscious experience into elemental parts like sensations, images, and affections.

Sensations (Structuralism)

Elemental components of conscious experience, including sights, sounds, and tastes, as studied by structuralists.

Images (Structuralism)

Elemental components of thoughts, as studied by structuralists.

Affections (Structuralism)

Elemental components of emotions, as studied by structuralists.

Criticism of Structuralism

Primarily its reliance on introspection, which is subjective and difficult to standardize.

James Mark Baldwin

A prominent figure (1861-1934) associated with Functionalism and the University of Toronto.

Functionalism

A psychological perspective that seeks to understand mental processes by examining the goal or purpose of those processes.

Habit Loop

A psychological pattern describing how habits are formed and maintained, consisting of a cue, a routine, and a reward.

Cue (Habit Loop)

The first component of the habit loop; a trigger or signal (internal or external) that initiates a habit, prompting the brain to an automatic response.

Routine (Habit Loop)

The specific behavior or action performed in response to a cue within the habit loop.

Reward (Habit Loop)

The positive outcome or psychological gratification experienced after completing a routine, which reinforces the habit loop.

Sensation (Psychophysics)

The process through which the senses detect visual, auditory, and other sensory stimuli and transmit them to the brain.

Perception (Psychophysics)

The process by which sensory information is actively organized and interpreted by the brain.

Absolute Threshold

The smallest level of stimulus that an organism can detect. It's the point at which a stimulus will be detected 50% of the time.

Difference Threshold

The smallest increase or decrease in a physical stimulus that is required to produce a 'just noticeable difference' (JND) in sensation that is detectable 50% of the time.

Just Noticeable Difference (JND)

The least amount of change in stimulation that would be noticeable, often used interchangeably with difference threshold.

Weber's Law

A principle stating that JNDs (just noticeable differences) are a constant proportion of a stimulus, meaning the change needed to notice a difference is proportional to the original intensity of the stimulus.