Week 1: Scientific foundations of psychology

What does Hermann Ebbinghaus's research emphasise in psychology?

The importance of rehearsal as illustrated by the forgetting curve.

What philosophical debate did Plato and Aristotle engage in regarding psychology?

The nature vs. nurture debate, with Plato supporting nature and Aristotle supporting nurture.

What is rationalism according to Rene Descartes?

The use of reason and logic to derive truth, asserting that innate knowledge exists.

What is mind-body dualism?

The concept that the mind and body are separate entities that interact.

→ suggested by Rene Descartes

What is Cartesian dualism in psychology and what is its significance?

Cartesian dualism: The mind and the body are conceptually separate, but they interact 

-> Ignited a new way to look at the mind-explaining psychological concepts using physiological models 

What is John Locke's view on knowledge?

He believed that individuals are born with no knowledge and that it is developed through experience.

What is empiricism in psychology?

The theory that knowledge is constructed through experiences and sensations.

What contributions did Gustav Fechner make to psychology?

He developed psychophysics, uniting mind and body mathematically and laying groundwork for experimental psychology.

Who is considered the first experimental psychologist?

Gustav Fechner, known for his work on psychophysics.

What was Wilhelm Wundt's contribution to psychology?

He established the first psychology lab in Leipzig in 1879 and developed methods like structuralism and introspection.

What is structuralism in psychology?

The approach of breaking down mental processes into their basic elements.

What is Charles Darwin's influence on psychology?

He introduced functionalism, emphasising how behavior and mental processes adapt individuals to their environment.

What is functionalism?

How human behaviour and mental processes serve to adapt an individual to an ever-changing environment 

What is the recapitulation theory proposed by Darwin?

The idea that individual development mirrors the evolutionary changes of species.

What was Francis Galton's contribution to psychology?

He focused on individual differences, intelligence testing, and introduced concepts like correlation and twin studies.

→ He argued for eugenics - selective reproduction of the fittest in society

What is the main idea behind William James's functionalism?

It explores why the mind works the way it does, emphasising the influence of the environment on behaviour.

What is empirical knowledge?

Knowledge that is verifiable by observation or experience rather than solely by reason.

What is the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning?

Deductive reasoning tests pre-existing theories for certain conclusions, while inductive reasoning develops new theories based on observations.

Describe the process of combining inductive and deductive methods

Accumulation of data and facts -> Hypothesis/theory testing ->Working theory -> Experimental design 

What is the principle of falsification proposed by Karl Popper?

The idea that a scientific theory must be testable in a way that could potentially prove it wrong.

What is the problem of induction as identified by Karl Popper?

The assumption that past rules and laws will hold in the future, which is intellectually attractive but logically flawed.

What is the role of systematic observation in scientific knowledge?

It involves collecting data through controlled studies and experiments to identify patterns and formulate laws.

What did Wundt believe about phenomena that could not be studied experimentally?

He proposed the concept of Volkerpsychologie, focusing on aspects like language and culture.

What did Darwin's 'The Origin of Species' contribute to psychology?

It placed human nature in the context of evolutionary change and emphasised evidence-based arguments.