Week 1 - Becoming a science

What was intelligence testing designed for vs what they are used for

Designed → Measure level of success

Used → measure max level of intelligence

What was intelligence testing designed used to support

• Segregation

• immigration restrictions

• Compulsory sterilization→ less intelligent (social and political)

What were philosophers early goals of psych?

Understand human behavior and unseen of the mind

Who are physicalists ?

People who believe everything depends on physical things

Brain is important

What did Mesmer do?

Applied magnets to patients

Believed if realigned magnetic fields in body it will cure depression, hysteria and paralysis

How do we use magnets today?

Electrodes in scalp, inject electrical current to brain to change behavior

Treat depression

What did Gall do ?

Believed contours in brain were formed in development

Sign of mental abilities

What made up early psychology

• physics

• Physiology (study bodies)

• Chemistry

• Perceptions

What did physiological psychology discover ?

How sensations processed through brain Like light, heat

Looked at nerve cells

What did Wundt do?

First experimental psychologist (first lab)

Bought comparison between psychology and chemistry

Central focus on study of conscious mental processes

Influence by Charles Darwin evolution theory

What did structuralism focus on?

Chemical elements of consciousness, sensations, perceptions, thoughts, feelings

Understand the rules and how them combine to form mental structures

Who founded structuralism?

Titchener

Influenced by wundt

First method of structuralism

100 hours to be able to study contents of own mind

Turn thoughts inwards to discover how thoughts, feeling and emotions arise

Problems with structuralism

Can’t study own mind without changing it by observing it

Who discovered functionalism?

James

Objected wundt

What did functionalism believe?

Consciousness evolved due to greater chance of survival

What was behaviourism interested in?

Leaving how to shape and change behavior

• Learning

• - reinforcement

• -conditioning

Behaviour can be observed objectively

What was behaviourism not interesting in?

Study of the mind

What did Watson believe?

He could have anyone into whatever he wanted through behavioral modification (profession)

Compare all 3

Structuralism→ mind is real, analyse in lab

Functionalism → mind is real, what matter it what it does

Behaviourism→ forget the mind, can’t observe it so study behaviour

What did Galton do?

Nature vs nurture

Study How and why people are different

All own research, no uni support

What did Galton believe?

Mental ability is inherited

Rich= smart

Poor = dumb

What is levels if analysis?

It’s the mechanism/timescale at which we explain a phenomenon

What is a phenomenon ?

Observable event that can be measured

Explain biological level on analysis

Nervous systems, body etc

EEG ; brain activity (good at precise timing)

fMRI; brain activity (good at location)

PET; receptor and , metabolism measures

Lesions; damage to brain

Stimulation;

Endocrine; cortisol , testosterone etc

Explain cognitive levels of analysis

Attention, memory etc

Explain individual differences levels of analysis

Stable variation among people

Explain social and cultural levels of analysis

Norms, groups etc

Development and lifespan levels of analysis

Stability , changes over time