PSYC 403: A long past but short history (1)

1908, Hermann Ebbinghaus, any area, scientific, best, 1800, astronomy

The long past but short history concept:

• in ___ , the German psychologist ___ ___ (memory researcher) wrote that quote.

• Now a popular saying referring to ___ ___ of inquiry that extends back for millennia before using formal ___ methods

• But psychology is probably the ___ example. As a formal scientific area generally viewed as staring in the late ___s, but people have been thinking about psychology forever. Another good example is ___.

• People have looked at the stars forever

Entertainment, patterns, make sense

People have been looking at the stars forever. But not just for ___ : looking for ___, trying to ___ ___ of things. SO story is more complicated

Metaphysical, gods, spirits, future, practical, crop planting, really well, arrogant

Admittedly, often included ___ ideas, such as ___, ___ and used fo things like predicting a baby’s ___, but also for ___things like ___ ___.

• horoscopes, agriculture (harvest times, plant, wait, etc.)

This often worked ___ ___. So even if their scientific methods didn’t quite match ours, saying short history is a bit ___

Cadiz, Atlantic

The similar, more specific example of ___: beautiful city on the ___ side of Spain.

Phoenicians, astronomical, oldest, 1100, Lebanon

Most don’t know it was founded by ___ who used ___ data to establish one of the ___ cities in Europe (___ BCE) way beyond modern ___ (good sushi?)

Magical, navigation

So even if their astronomy wasn’t a formal scientific area that excluded all ___ things, so what! Good enough to support very impressive ___.

• hélios in Greece, chariot pull sun in sky

Greek philosophers, psychological, supernatural, pre historical, burial rituals, elephants

Same applies to psychology well before the classic ___ ___. Lots of thinking about ___ issues even f mixed with ___ ideas.

• for millennia, ___ ___ period even (no records tho)

• One piece of evidence is ___ ___ (disposing of them vs bury)

• Whether other animals, such as ___< mourn and bury their dead is nuanced but humans definitely do

Rats, smell, chemical, smelly,

Interesting aside:

• ___ may bury thei dead, but only after they begin to ___.

• Not “Bob was a good rat. I’m sorry to see him gone”

Experiment

• anaesthesized control rat and other treated with a ___ which made it smell similar to a dead body → only the ___ one was buried.

• Nothing sentimental going on

Reflection, disposal, 100,000, 80,000, 3, child, fetal

The point at which human burials involved ___ rather than ___ is unclear, but a very long time ago: at least ___ years ago !

• recently, the earliest known human burial in Africa was discovered and dates to about ___ years ago. A ___ year old ___ was laid to rest in a ___ position.

• Carefully placed, not an accident

Inferred, mourning, nearby, objects, future life

Obviously, the presence of psychological thinking is ___ from this but suggests ___ and a wish to keep the dead ___.

Even clearer later when the dead were often buried with perfectly usable ___ (swords, pots, jewelry), perhaps to accompany some spirits to a ___ ___ (dramatic examples thousands of years later with Egyptian kinds, etc.). Rooms and rooms of objets, servants, etc.

Cave paintings, 50,000, animal, daily life, self awareness

Another old, even bit stronger, piece of evidence of early psychological thinking is ___ ___. Go back at least ___ years (probably earlier just not found).

But do they really reflect psychological thinking ? A lot are just ___ pictures so maybe just a reflection of ___ ___.

But even at that, at minimum, suggests some ___ ___.

Hand prints

Interestingly, many of them are ___ ___: looks like a group project !

Self awareness, families, sleeping, dreaming, good, bad,

But probably more than just ___ ___. Some suggest things like ___, ___ and ___, ___ and ___ luck, etc.

Themes became more psychological in nature

Indalos, 5,000, protected, evil spirits, storms,

Another example from Spain:

• the ___ appear about ___ BCE

• Usually interpreted as someone ___ rom something bad, such as ___ ___, ___ (looks like an umbrella), etc.

• So more complicated things

• More symbolic, psychologically nuanced.

Trepanning, Europe, Neolithic, 5,000, spirit, Middle Ages, medical

And even firmer evidence of early psychological thinking comes from ___: a common surgical procedure in ___ dating back to he ___ period (___ BCE). Often, but not always, done for psychological reasons.

• could be used for ___ removal, continued through the ___ ___ (period). Some also ___ reasons, etc.

• Skulls with holes in them all over the world

Sophisticated, inductive, deductive, 10, healing, bone, cylindrical, oldest, mental, epilepsy, possession, shamans, males, success, craniotomy, mental health,

Video:

• more ___ than we think

• Neolithic people were capable of both ___ and ___ reasoning: hunting led to injuries, which could then lead to death.

• ___ % of skulls found had holes in them, which showed signs of ___

• Trepanning: aura, removed piece of ___ in skull with a ___ blade

• ___ surgery ever recorded: the first ever operation

• Found all over the world: Europe, china, American culture, mayans, etc.

• Thought to have been used for ___ illnesses too, ___, ___, etc. Done by ___ (ppl)

• Relieved the issue in some cases because see signs of healing. The majority of cases were done on ___.

• Some where the bone was not fully removed: wake up during procedure and go live. Blow to head → loss of consciousness, if walk up considered a ___ even if surgery not over: they were revived

• Males were hunters and providers for family so more likely to get injured

• Some ppl still died form it: no signs of healing

• Modern day ___: now almost unheard of for ___ ___ problems. Relieve intercranial pressure

European

Not limited to Europe : the incas did it. The history of psychology is mostly a ___ story

Oddly, unhappy, Buddhism

An even more specific example of pre-Socratic psychologicla thinking came form outside of Europe:

• Europeans and South Americans weren’t the onyl ones thinking about why some people behave ___ and or/ are ___

• One major world religion began with a purely psychological observation: ___

Siddhartha Gautama, unhappy, 500, noble truth, suffering, unfulfillment, attachment

___ ___ (the Buddha), an ___ aristocracy, lived around ___ BCE in Nepal. His first ___ ___ had nothing to do with god

• life is ___: interpreted as an existential sense of deep ___, not acute physical or psychological pain.

• Ppl are unhappy, notion of ___

Meditating, eastern, 20

Psychological ideas before the classic Greek philosophers

• what is a person to do ?

• ___ (among other things) still a good idea

• Various ___ traditions began to influence psychology in the ___th century.

• Mindfulness intervention for pain

Socrates, Greek literature

But back in Greece, the stage was being set for the classic philosophers

• despite these other examples, it’s not surprising that ___ et al are usuall described as the orginiators of the process that led to psychology. Though it didn’t happen all at once.

• A number of historical and cultural influences were probably involved.

• One was ___ ___

Pre Socratic, open, reflective, travel, exposure, verbal, poets, pays, democracy, control, responsibility, tragedies

___ ___ Greece (1000-500 BCE) did a lot in promoting psychological thinking

• it was a very ___, ___ society

• Lots of ___ and ___ to other cultures.

• ___ entertainment (___ and ___) were very big

• ___ led to an increased sense of ___ and ___ for people. What am i gonna do with my life ? People had mroe money to spend on entertainment

• ____ were a big form of entertainment

Emotion, reason, stubbornness, self deception, pride, humoral, personality, stable, fated, clever

In tragedies, authors often discussed problems due to ___ overwhelming ___, and more subtle characteristics like ___, ___ ___, or ___ (hubris) that lead characters into disaster. Psychological issues

• also, anticipating the ___ theory of ___, characters were very ___ in their characteristics, very ___ which often leads them into problems (ex: Odysseus is sometimes too ___ and tricky for his own good)

• Partial fated by stars and who they are

Psychological, thought, challenging, Oedipus rex

Usually tragedies were very ___, ___ provoking and ___ to understand.

• ___ ___ by Sophocles

Complicated, detective, king, father, mother, prophecy, feet, abandon, shepherd, Corinth

Oedipus rex (king)

• super ___ plot, even more than this since told as a ___ story trying to figure out past events

• Overall, a tragedy about a ___ who unknowingly kills his ___ and marries his ___, fulfilling a feared ___

• Baby’s ___ pierced and a servant ordered to ___ him, but instead gives to a ___ to give to king and queen of ___

Adoptive, swollen feet, biological father, Thebes, Sphinx, riddle, humans,

Years later, hearing the prophecy and thinking it referred to his ___ parents, Oedipus (meaning: ___ ___) tries to escape his fate by leaving town

On the road, he bumps into his ___ ___ and kills him in an argument

Arriving in ___ (city), he confronts the fearsome ___ which had terrorized the cities, and defeats it by solving its ___ : What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet in the afternoon, and three feet at night ? → ___

Lot of material in psychology for art

King, queen, 4, plague, murder, king, suicide, blinds, educate, fate, free will, arrogance, knowledge

In celebration, he is made ___ and marries the ___ (his unknown biological mother)

After many years and ___ children, Thebes is affected by a ___ which an oracle tells Oedipus can only be resolved if the ___ of the former ___ is solved

Complicated events occur ut eventually it is revealed that Oedipus is the culprit. Not a happy ending: his wife/mother commits ___, Oedipus ___ himself, etc.

Can’t escape one’s fate. Assumes an ___ audience with themes of ___ and ___ ___, the cost of ___, lack of ___, etc.

Love, wisdom, knowledge, education, wise, teachers, eligous, temple, government, regular, democracy, logic, speaking, sophists, literature, science

Professional philosophers (philosophia: the ___ of ___)

• an environment where ___ was prized by the public. No public ___ but many willing to pay ___ people (philosophers) for instruction. A new profession

• In earlier cultures, such as Egypt, there were always ___, but education often in ___ context and for those destined for ___ and __ bureaucracy (priests and scribes)

• By the era of Socrates, many ___ people interested in education, often to participate in ___.

• ___ and ___, especially the “___”, but also ___ and ___ : the Greek miracle

Psyche, soul, life force, breathing, body,

The concept of ___ was often part of science education

• often translated as ___, but a ore general ___ ___. Sor of physical as it was associated with ___, and left the ___ on death.

• Root of psychology word

• Life spirit, what makes people do what they do

Mind body, psychology

Vague but interesting ___ ___ thinking. Early teachers/philosopers began to think very seriously about such issues. A teach their students: early __ students !