Psych 1b history

What is the problem of objectivity?

we can never truly have true objectivity no matter how hard we try

What is science based on?

the observations of facts which are observed which are independent of the view of the observer (objective)

what is falsifiability

you can disprove it

What are the 2 positions we can observe from?

mental and physical position

What is the problem of induction?

how can we make a claim more generable based on things we have seen (eg swans =white)

recognising that all observations are limited

need to make assumption that there are things beyond what we have seen

what are the issues with scientific observation

we can only observe from a mental and physical position

oberservations limited and must be interpreted

What is an example of scientific observations?

the discovery of Uranus and the discovery of Neptune

what is the myth of the given

mental states not directly knowable- based on prior concepts (which describe state)

eg concept of yellow, we need it to understand the colour yellow

observation of mental phenomena

how did early experiments manage subjectivity

subject: responses limited- but there is inconsistency (Likert scale)

experimenter: mechanical devices, standard procedure

behaviourism, which is a direct observation that removes subjectivity of a subject

what is the issue with calling behaviourism objective?

we decide the guide lines for what defines fear etc

what is operationalism

things are defined by what they can be measured by

what are convergent operations?

you can measure the same thing using different tests /different scales

zoned out a lil

what is replication?

used to overcome limits of specific findings (increase reliability)

what is the replication crisis

it raises questions about the robustness of various findings, adequacy of methods, research and publication practices

what are some

w

what are demand characteristics

the experimental context may shape beh influencing resultsw

what are experimenter effects

what is a crisis within social psychology that has emerged?

all knowledge is based in

language and descriptions- they determine what we are actually talking about

What are the 5 levels in history psych

mental stuff, descriptions, formal concepts, measures, data(observable)

descriptions versus mental reality

we use descriptions to draw maps of mental territory, but the map is based on territory and how it is drawn

when we draw maps they are selective, we only draw particular things

describes particular features in a particular way

we have no direct access to mental territory, we can only come up with descriptions that represent that particular way

eg personality is a particular version of self, we are defining object of study and what data represents

what is the metaphorical basis'?

we use metaphors to describe invisible things

eg outgoing, openminded, depression, extraversion, emotion, intelligence

these change over time and there are practical implications

what is an issue with the metaphorical basis?

metaphors selected from available options - limits how mind can be viewed

eg mind as a computer, memory as a container

metaphors reflect/reinforce theoretical assumptions about phenomena- eg mental illness or disorders

what are definitions

they reflect theoretical assumptions- they refer to certain aspects of phenomenon

when definitions change, objects of study changes

‘emotion’ (as ‘x’ eg biological)→ ‘emotion’ (as ‘y’ eg subjective): study of x→ y

what is an issue with definitions?

definitions change, there is a risk of conflation of descriptions and phenomena and a risk of reification of concepts

map is not the territory

what are ways of bypassing issues with defining different terms

1) avoid jargon, get to the bone

how did learning develop in history psych?

it became a psychological concept after WWI

BEFORE not a formal concept, they are referring to a conscious process

AFTER 1934 now fundamental, but nothing to do with consciousness

therefore word has completely changed (now tied to behaviourism)

How was learning tied to behaviourism?

How was memory studied?

many different metaphors

Wundt didn’t see it as a fundamental category

Ebbinghaus then changed this by memorising as performance and studying quantities of equally meaningless units of info

Then Bartlett

How did Bartlett study memory

not as performance but as process

how we remember and distort meaningful info

meaningful narratives

not learning or capacity for neutral info

how does memory as a computer metaphor work

info processing

distinction between long-term and short-term storage

prompted new questions (eg capacity of STM, neural location of x)

question of memory as part of ‘extended mind’ as discursive phenomenon not just in brain

aim of psychology is?

knowledge that is reliable and valid

about mind

and sometimes behaviour

need to summarise this

psych as science slide

What is an issue with viewing psychology as a science?

limiting - eg clinpsych

boundary-work?

important

applied psychology

GS Hall

opened 1st USA psych lab

child study movement

before IQ you had

mental testing used with kids to try and predict how well they may do in exams and make decisions in terms of selection

what’s the purpose of educational psychology?

to improve results

rather than how do children learn

why did psychologists become useful in psychology?

what did Walter scott write about

the psychology of advertising

what is the creation of ‘wants and solutions’

you create in mind of consumer a problem that they need to solve, that they want to solve

research they do is driven by concerns of business rather than science

propaganda

variability hypothesis

mary caulkins

doll test