Lesson 11 - Functionalism & Animal Models in Psychology

Who is known as the 'Father of Black Psychology'?

Francis Cecil Sumner.

What significant achievement did Francis Cecil Sumner accomplish in 1920?

He became the first African-American to earn a PhD in psychology.

Where did Francis Cecil Sumner complete his dissertation?

At Clark University under the supervision of G. Stanley Hall.

What was the focus of Francis Cecil Sumner's research?

The elimination of racial bias in the administration of justice.

What was the title of Francis Cecil Sumner's doctoral dissertation?

'Psychoanalysis of Freud and Adler'.

In what year did Francis Cecil Sumner earn his PhD?

1920

Which university did Francis Cecil Sumner become chair of the psychology department in 1928?

Howard University.

Who was one of Francis Cecil Sumner's notable students?

Kenneth B. Clark.

What significant role did Kenneth B. Clark hold in 1966?

He became the first African-American president of the APA.

What school of thought is John Dewey associated with?

Functionalism.

Which two psychologists influenced John Dewey's work?

Wilhelm Wundt and William James.

Where did John Dewey earn his PhD?

At Johns Hopkins University.

What was the focus of John Dewey's dissertation?

The philosophy of Immanuel Kant.

What book did John Dewey write while at the University of Michigan?

Psychology (1886).

What impact did Dewey's book 'Psychology' have on US psychology?

It pushed US psychology into being an empirical science.

What philosophical tradition heavily influenced John Dewey's work?

Georg Hegel's philosophical tradition.

What connection did John Dewey wish to create in psychology?

A connection between theorists and practical workers.

What did Dewey believe psychologists should avoid?

Being too theoretical and treating participants as mere objects.

What did John Dewey object to regarding the laboratory's approach?

He objected to the 'extreme simplification' of the laboratory and its failure to consider everyday life.

What role did Dewey believe schools played in society?

Dewey believed that schools had replaced the home as the inculcator of values.

What concept did Dewey focus on that involves a stimulus producing a sensation and a response?

The reflex arc.

How did Dewey view the relationship between sensory stimulus and motor response?

He rejected the idea that they were entirely separate and saw them as interrelated.

What educational principles did Dewey emphasize?

Learning by doing, the importance of student interest, and intelligent problem solving.

What was the significance of Dewey's laboratory developed in 1896?

It was used to study educational processes in children.

What led to Dewey's departure from the University of Chicago in 1904?

A dispute with the administration.

Where did Dewey move after leaving the University of Chicago?

Columbia University.

What did Dewey believe was the purpose of learning from experiences like touching a flame?

He believed it provided a survival advantage by teaching the child not to touch the flame again.

Who was James Rowland Angell and what was his connection to John Dewey?

Angell was Dewey's student at the University of Michigan and later joined the faculty at the University of Chicago.

What was Angell's contribution to the field of psychology?

He served as president of the APA in 1906 and was a long-term chair of the psychology department at the University of Chicago.

What are the three main points Angell made about functionalism in his presidential address?

1) Functional psychology focuses on mental operations, not conscious elements. 2) Mental processes mediate between the organism's needs and the environment. 3) The mind and body act as a unit in survival.

What was George Romanes's background?

He was born in Canada to a well-to-do family and his father was a Presbyterian clergyman.

What was the early education of the individual who graduated with a BA in 1871?

His early education was erratic as the family moved between Britain, Germany, and Italy.

Who introduced the individual to the scientific elite after he wrote a letter to Nature?

Charles Darwin introduced him to others in the scientific elite, including Thomas Huxley and Herbert Spencer.

What are the titles of the two significant books written by the individual in 1882 and 1884?

Animal Intelligence (1882) and Mental Evolution in Animals (1884).

What criticism did the individual face regarding his views on animal behavior?

He was heavily criticized for anthropomorphizing animal behavior.

What belief did the individual hold about animal consciousness?

He believed that animals possess a form of consciousness and can make choices.

What was Conwy Lloyd Morgan's approach to animal behavior?

He applied 'Morgan's Canon,' which stated that actions should not be interpreted as higher psychical faculties if they can be explained by lower faculties.

What was Morgan's stance on anthropomorphism in animal behavior?

Morgan rejected the notion of applying human thoughts to animals.

What did Morgan believe about animal learning?

He believed that animals learn through a system of trial and error, especially when there is a reward.

What was Edward Lee Thorndike's educational background?

He attended Wesleyan University for his BA, earned his MA at Harvard, and completed his PhD at Columbia University.

What was the core of Thorndike's famous 1911 work?

His dissertation, which focused on Animal Intelligence.

What was Thorndike's view on intelligence?

He believed intelligence was inherited and that schools should be tailored to a student's ability.

What did Thorndike think about the nature of intelligence?

He believed that intelligence was not one quality, but many specific skills and aptitudes.

What was Thorndike's discomfort with Romanes's work?

He found it too heavily based on anecdotal evidence and anthropomorphism.

What experimental method did Thorndike use in his research?

He constructed fifteen puzzle boxes for his experiments.

What was the purpose of the puzzle box experiment?

To study animal behavior and learning through trial and error.

What influence did James's Principles of Psychology have on Thorndike?

It sparked his interest in the discipline of psychology.

Who supervised Thorndike during his PhD studies?

James McKeen Cattell.

What was Thorndike's relationship with the academic community?

He spent most of his academic career at Columbia University's Teachers College.

What was a major theme in Thorndike's research?

The application of research with student subjects.

How did Morgan attempt to rein in Romanes's excesses?

By promoting a more cautious interpretation of animal behavior and rejecting anthropomorphism.

What was the time period of Conwy Lloyd Morgan's life?

1852-1936.

What was the time period of Edward Lee Thorndike's life?

1874-1949.

What act did the cat engage in to win freedom from the puzzle box?

Pulling a bar.

How did the cat's ability to escape the puzzle box change over time?

The cat more readily escaped with each exposure to the puzzle box.

Why can't Thorndike be classified as a behaviorist?

Thorndike's experiments showed that learning is not purely stimulus-response; rather, it involves appropriate responses to situations.

What are the two main laws proposed by Thorndike?

The Law of Effect and the Law of Exercise.

What does the Law of Effect state?

A pleasing after-effect strengthens the action that produced it, making the response more likely to occur again.

What is the significance of the S-R association in Thorndike's Law of Effect?

Once the stimulus and response are associated, the response is likely to occur even without the stimulus being present.

What does the Law of Exercise determine?

The strength of the connection between a stimulus and a response, which can be strengthened by practice or weakened by discontinuation.

Who was Robert S. Woodworth?

A psychologist known for his contributions to psychometrics and personality testing.

What notable test did Woodworth develop during World War I?

The Woodworth Personal Data Sheet (WPDS), considered the first personality test.

What was the purpose of the Woodworth Personal Data Sheet?

To measure emotional stability and susceptibility to 'shell shock' in soldiers.

What term did Woodworth introduce to describe his functionalist approach to psychology?

Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R).

How does the S-O-R approach differ from the S-R approach?

The S-O-R approach includes the organism's state as a mediator between stimulus and response, unlike the strictly S-R approach.

What was the influence of Woodworth's work on later personality inventories?

His test influenced the development of later personality inventories that measure neuroticism.

Where did Robert S. Woodworth earn his BA degrees?

Amherst College and Harvard University.

Who was Woodworth's mentor at Columbia University?

James McKeen Cattell.

In what year was Woodworth elected president of the APA?

1914

What was the main focus of Woodworth's psychometric work?

Measurements, including measuring visitors at the 1904 St. Louis Fair.

What did Woodworth's modified S-O-R formula emphasize?

The different effects or responses elicited by a stimulus depending on the state of the organism.

What was one of the key contributions of Thorndike's experiments?

Learning is incremental and occurs in bits rather than all at once.

What is the relationship between responses and their effects according to the Law of Effect?

Responses that produce a satisfying effect are more likely to occur again, while those that produce discomforting effects are less likely.

What year was the Law of Effect published?

1905

What did Woodworth's work lead to in the field of psychology?

A shift towards understanding the organism's role in the stimulus-response relationship.