Chapter 7: Functionalism Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key terms, historical stages, and foundational theories of Functionalism.

Stage One: Moral and Mental Philosophy (1640–1776)

The initial stage of early U.S. psychology where the discipline included accepted theology and was influenced by Lockean philosophy to support religious beliefs.

Stage Two: Intellectual Philosophy (1776–1886)

The stage in U.S. psychology history during which psychology became a separate discipline, primarily influenced by Scottish commonsense views.

Stage Three: The U.S. Renaissance (1886–1896)

The period when psychology became an empirical science, marked by key publications such as John Dewey's Psychology and William James's Principles of Psychology.

Stage Four: Functionalism (1896 and Beyond)

The stage of U.S. psychology combining science, evolutionary theory, and an emphasis on individual differences to understand how the mind and behavior function.

Functionalism

A school of psychology focused on understanding the function of the mind in helping an organism adapt to its environment, rather than analyzing mental contents.

Pragmatism

The cornerstone belief of functionalism stating that if an idea or belief works and produces effective consequences, it is valid.

Radical Empiricism

William James's philosophical stance that all consistently reported aspects of human experience are worthy of psychological study.

Stream of Consciousness

William James's concept describing consciousness as personal to the individual, continuous, always changing, selective, and functional.

Material Self

A component of William James's empirical self consisting of the body, family, and all physical possessions owned.

Social Self

A component of William James's empirical self defined as the self as known and recognized by other people.

Spiritual Self

A component of William James's empirical self consisting of an individual's state of consciousness and subjective inner reality.

Self as a Knower

In William James's framework, the subjective awareness or consciousness of one's empirical self.

James-Lange Theory of Emotion

The theory proposing that an event causes a physiological reaction or behavior first, which is subsequently experienced as an emotion.

Ideo-Motor Theory of Behavior

The theory stating that an idea of an action precedes and directly causes that specific action.

Hugo Münsterberg

A functional psychologist who asserted that behavior causes ideas, and who pioneered applied psychology in forensic, industrial, and clinical settings.

Mary Whiton Calkins

A psychologist who invented the paired-associate technique and promoted self-psychology after completing Harvard PhD requirements without officially receiving the degree due to her gender.

Granville Stanley Hall

The founder of the first U.S. psychology laboratory, founder of the American Journal of Psychology, and the first president of the American Psychological Association.

Recapitulation Theory

G. Stanley Hall's theory asserting that the developmental stages of an individual throughout life mirror the evolutionary history of the species.

John Dewey

Author of The Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology (1896) and a key advocate of progressive education, which emphasized student-oriented learning by doing.

Adaptive Act

Harvey Carr's concept consisting of three parts: a motive acting as a stimulus, an environmental setting, and a response that satisfies the motive.

Dynamic Psychology

Robert Sessions Woodworth's approach to psychology that specifically focused on human motivation and the causes of behavior.

S-O-R Formula

Robert Sessions Woodworth's modification of behavior theory representing Stimulus-Organism-Response, which highlights the role of internal organismic motivation.

Morgan's Canon

A principle advocated by Conwy Morgan to prevent the anthropomorphizing of nonhuman animals in comparative psychology.

Puzzle Box

An experimental apparatus used by Edward Lee Thorndike to study trial-and-error learning in cats.

Law of Effect

Thorndike's learning principle stating that associations followed by a satisfying state of affairs are strengthened, whereas those followed by an annoying state of affairs are weakened.

Identical Elements Theory of Transfer

Thorndike's proposal that the degree to which learning in one situation transfers to another depends on the similarity of elements between the two situations.