Untitled Flashcards Set

Why do psychologists study the history of psychology?

To understand the development of psychological concepts, methods, and the cultural context behind them.

What is the concept that refers to the methods and philosophical issues of historical research?

Historicism.

What are some limitations of historical data?

Incomplete records, bias in accounts, and varying interpretations of events.

How are zeitgeist and naturalistic theory related?

Both consider the influence of cultural and social factors on scientific ideas and developments.

Compare zeitgeist and naturalistic theory.

Zeitgeist emphasizes the prevailing cultural and intellectual spirit of the time, while naturalistic theory focuses on how these influences contribute to scientific progress.

What are some examples of evidence for the naturalistic and personalistic theory?

Naturalistic: Technological advancements like the mechanical clock; Personalistic: Contributions of key figures like Freud or Wundt.

How does Thomas Kuhn’s theory of scientific revolutions apply to the study of history?

It suggests that science progresses through paradigm shifts, changing fundamentally how disciplines are viewed.

What is the cycle of scientific revolution according to Kuhn?

Normal science, crisis, revolution, and new normal science.

How does the Hegelian Dialectical Model describe the development of ideas in psychology?

Through a process of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis.

Why was the mechanical clock influential in spreading the idea of a mechanical universe?

It provided a tangible representation of regularity and predictability in nature.

What were Rene Descartes' contributions to the mind-body problem?

He proposed dualism, suggesting the mind and body are separate but interact.

Compare and contrast Descartes' innate and derived ideas.

Innate ideas are inherent and not derived from experience, while derived ideas come from sensory experiences.

Compare and contrast John Stuart Mill to his father James Mill.

John Stuart Mill advocated for a more qualitative approach to experiences, while James Mill stressed a purely quantitative and mechanistic perspective.

Review the contributions of John Locke.

He proposed the idea of the mind as a 'tabula rasa' or blank slate, emphasizing experience as the source of knowledge.

Review the contributions of James Mill.

He focused on associationism, arguing that complex ideas arise from simple ones.

Review the contributions of John Stuart Mill.

He developed the method of difference and advocated for the importance of qualitative differences in experiences.

Review the contributions of George Berkeley.

He argued that perception is reality and that material objects exist only as perceptions.

How did Charles Babbage influence the zeitgeist of the mechanical universe?

His work on the analytical engine contributed to the concept of a mechanistic view of human thought processes.

What was the personal equation studied by Bessel?

It referred to the systematic error in astronomical observations due to the observer’s reaction time.

What were the three methods of studying the brain used by early physiologists?

Lesion studies, electrical stimulation, and observation of cases.

What evidence showed that phrenology could not predict behavior?

The lack of consistent evidence correlating skull shapes with personality traits and abilities.

What was the neuron doctrine?

The principle that the neuron is the basic structural and functional unit of the nervous system.

How did the neuron doctrine contribute to the zeitgeist of the time period?

It supported the idea that complex behaviors could be understood through the study of individual neurons.

What type of relationship exists between physical and perceived stimulus intensity?

A logarithmic relationship as described by the Weber-Fechner law.

Why were psychophysics important to psychology as a science?

They provided empirical methods to measure and quantify psychological phenomena.

What did research on Just Noticeable Difference reveal?

It showed that the detectable change in a stimulus is proportionate to the original intensity of the stimulus.

Why was Germany the center of the development of psychology as a science?

Germany had a strong tradition of empirical research and philosophy that influenced psychological thought.

What were Fechner’s methods of psychophysics?

Methods of limits, methods of right and wrong cases, and method of constant stimuli.

What were some of the first quantitative methods applied to measure perception?

The measurement of thresholds and Just Noticeable Differences (JNDs) in stimuli.

What did Helmholtz contribute to the study of perception and human anatomy?

He advanced understanding of sensory perception, particularly vision and hearing.

What measurement of mental activity did Helmholtz demonstrate was possible?

The speed of neural impulses.

What did members of the Berlin Physics Society pledge?

To promote and uphold scientific principles in their work.

What is the difference between a founder and originator regarding new schools of thought?

A founder establishes a school; an originator provides initial ideas or concepts that may not lead to a formal school.

Describe Wundt’s methods of introspection.

Controlled self-observation where subjects report their conscious experiences under experimental conditions.

How did Wundt’s method of introspection differ from traditional philosophical uses?

Wundt's was more systematic and experimental while traditional methods were often speculative.

How did Wundt’s method of introspection differ from some of his students?

His students sometimes prioritized quantitative measurements over introspective reports.

What did Wundt learn from his experiments on Bessel’s personal equation?

He learned about the variability in human perception and reaction times.

What type of data did Wundt prefer to collect in his experimental lab?

Objective measurements of conscious experience.

How did Wundt approach the dialectical problem of reductionism versus holism?

He sought a balance, advocating for the understanding of psychological phenomena at both micro and macro levels.

What school of thought were the psychologists influenced by Wundt’s principle of apperception?

Structuralism.