History and Systems Test 2

Who is credited with introducing the beginnings of what is now the scientific method? 

Galileo

Why is it believed that mechanism was popular in the 17th Century?

It was part of the *zeitgeist* - the advances in clockworks and the invention of automata simulated human behavior.

The philosophers who believed that at least some knowledge is innate, and not dependent upon experience, were part of which school of thought? 

Nativism

The philosophical school of thought that argues that knowledge can only be gained through scientific experimentation is: 

empiricism

What structure did Descartes believe was the site of interaction between the mind and body? 

Pineal gland

Descartes was a proponent of the idea of mind-body dualism, which means:

The idea that the mind and body are separate entities

Descartes' idea that external stimuli can produce automatic reactions is called: 

Reflex-action theory

According to Locke, what is the fundamental building block of the mind? 

Ideas

Copernicus

* *(1543)*: *heliocentric* view of the universe
* *Rejected by the church because it went against “common sense”*

Bruno

proposed existence of innumerable suns and planets

Galileo

Father of scientific method and empiricism

Introduced the beginnings of the scientific method

*Empiricism*

* *Message from the Stars*


* *Dialogue(1632):* argument for the heliocentric view of the universe
* Placed on The Vatican’s *Index of Prohibited Books*

*Empiricism*

*pursuit of knowledge through observation & experimentation*

*knowledge can only be gained through experimental methods*

*Nativism*

*some knowledge is innate*

*Materialism*

*phenomena of the mind and behavior can be described using mathematics and physical sciences*

*Mechanism*

*natural processes are mechanically determined and can be explained by the laws of physics & chemistry*

Charles Babbage

Toward a machine that could “think” - The Difference & Analytical Engines

Rene Descartes

Nativist, *Dualism, Classic view*

Dream of “Spirit of Truth”

*cogito ergo sum- I think, therefore I am*

the body is extended, and the mind is unextended

Descartes argued that influence went both ways (“The Ghost in the Machine” – Ryle)

The mind’s only ability is thought.

Rene Descartes (body)

The mind controls the pores of the brain

* Allows or blocks the flow of spirits

Pores in the brain control the flow of animal spirits

* *the heart heated the blood*

The body is a machine & is governed by mechanical laws

* Hollow tubes & animal spirits
* *veins and nerves*

Rene Descartes (other)

*Experiences alter the structure of the pores of the brain*

* Modern idea of plasticity

*Reflex-action theory*

Site of interaction (Rene Descartes)

*the pineal gland*

* Not duplicated on both sides of the brain

*Dualism*

*mind & body have separate natures*

*Classic view*

*influence flowed one way – mind to body*

*Reflex-action theory*

*an external stimulus can bring about an involuntary response*

Thomas Hobbes

*Basis of human activity: pleasure and pain*

*Hedonistic view*

Human nature is basically evil

*Leviathan*

Double-aspect monism

*Hedonistic view*

*basic human nature is to seek pleasure and avoid pain*

*Double-aspect monism*

*a position that holds that mind and body are but two different aspects of the same unitary basic underlying subtance.*

* Two sides of the same coin

John Locke

*Tabula Rasa*: *blank slate*

*Essay Concerning Human Understanding*

No innate knowledge

Everything in the mind is received through experience

*Ideas are the fundamental unit of the mind*

Primary qualities

Secondary qualities

*Sensation*

*direct sensory input*

*Reflection*

*Ideas are formed through sensations and mind acting on each other*

*Ideas*

*the fundamental unit of the mind*

*Simple Ideas*

*Received passively by the mind from either sensation or reflection (redness, roundness, likeness, and coldness*

*Primary qualities*

*Secondary qualities*

*Primary qualities*

*characteristics exist in objects (redness, roundness)*

*Secondary qualities*

*perceived characteristics* (how it taste)

*Complex Ideas*

*compounded simple ideas*

*Association*

*Association*

*the process by which simple ideas are associated*

George Berkeley

*Mentalism, Idealism, Solipsism*

Mind is the immediate reality

*esse est percepi -* to be is to be perceived, and to perceive it to be

* Perception is subjective
* We understand objects through experience and association.

*Mentalism*

*All knowledge is dependent upon one’s perceptions*

*Idealism*

*fundamental reality consists of ideas rather than the material world*

David Hartley

*Contiguity*

Repetition is necessary in order for an association to form

Stimulation causes nerves to vibrate

* Result: our sensations
* Simple ideas get compounded into clusters

*Contiguity*

*ideas or sensations that occur together become associated and are seen as being related*

James Mill

The mind is a machine that is predictable

No creativity, thus no free will

Acted on passively by external stimuli

John Stuart Mill

Mind plays an active role in association

*Creative synthesis*

* *Mental chemistry*
* mind actively combines mental events

*Creative synthesis*

*combination of mental events produces a distinct quality not present in the elements themselves*

Who used the analogy of mental chemistry to describe Creative Synthesis? 

John Stuart Mill

Who was the first person to use "Psychology" in a title? 

von Wolff

The idea that all knowledge is dependent upon one's perceptions was proposed by:

Berkeley

The philosophical school of thought that argues that knowledge can only be gained through scientific experimentation is:

empiricism

The idea that the combination of mental elements will produce distinct qualities not present in the elements themselves is:

Creative Synthesis

Who described studying mental events experimental as inappropriate because it "fractionates" experience? 

Herbart

Christian von Wolff

*Empirical Psychology* ,*Rational Psychology*

Proposes *faculties*

* Knowing, remembering, imagining, sensing, etc.

Supported the hedonistic view

* First to use “psychology” in a title

*faculties*

*descriptions of human mental events*

Johann Herbart

*Psychology as a Science*, *Textbook of Psychology*

* first mathematical psychologist, First educational psychologist

The study of psychology must be based on experience

* It cannot be experimental or physiological due to *fractionation*

Ideas are dynamic and are always in a struggle to win a place in consciousness

Hermann Lotze *Local Signs*

*space perception is a result of the mind and soul*

Helmholtz

*The Facts of Perception* – *discusses unconscious inference of perception*

Unconscious Inference

Derivative principle

*Unconscious Inference*

*perception involves unconscious conclusions regarding stimuli based on information from sensory systems and experience*

Derivative principle

*no observation is entirely objective*

Fechner

Follower of *panpsychicism*

Used three methods

Fechner’s Law - *k log R*

*fixes individual difference in experiments*

Weber’s Law - *ΔR/R (R = Reiz)*

* *relationship between sensation and perception mathematically*

Fechner’s Law

s=*k log R*

*fixes individual difference in experiments*

Weber’s Law

*ΔR/R=k*

*(R = Reiz)*

*relationship between sensation and perception mathematically*

Fechner’s Methods

*Method of Limits*

*Method of Constant Stimuli*

*Method of Reproduction*

*panpsychicism*

*every material has some level of individual consciousness*

*Method of Limits*

*serial presentation of successively* ***different values*** *of a variable stimulus to determine what levels are equal to the standard*

*Method of Constant Stimuli*

*Variable stimulus paired in* ***random order*** *with standard to determine which are equal to the standard*

*Method of Reproduction*

***Participant sets the variable*** *stimulus so it appears equal to the standard*

Wilhelm Wundt

*Dissertation on touch sensitivity of hysterical patients*

hysteria- intense emotions from women, wondering womb disorder

Used demonstrations and experiments while he taught

* used lantern slides

Wilhelm Wundt Career

He used himself as a subject in his research

Self as Subject- *measure yourself in a study*

Worked for Helmholtz as assistant

Wilhelm Wundt

Dissertation on touch sensitivity of hysterical patients

Used demonstrations and experiments while he taught

Self as Subject- *measure yourself in a study*

*Self-observation*

*higher mental processes*

* Language, myths, religion, social customs

*Experimentation*

*Introspection, Reaction Time, Word Associations*

Wundt characteristics of sensation

*quality, intensity, extent, & duration*

Wundts Psychology

Psychology is the science of consciousness

Both *natural and social sciences* are part of psychology

Immediate Experience

*Voluntarism*

*Immediate Experience*

*experience as it is given to the observer*

*Voluntarism*

*organisms are striving, purposive, goal-directed creatures*

Wundt Identified 2 elements of mental life: Sensations

*Feeling and Apperception*

*Feeling*

*subjective components of sensations*

*Apperception*

*that which is attended to is perceived*

* *This is an active, voluntary process*

*Creative Synthesis (Wundt)*

*when elements are attended to, they can be arranged mentally based on the will of the individual*

* *Compare this to mental chemistry (J.S. Mill)*

*Compounds*

*occur when the mind performs creative synthesis on elements*

*Elements*

*categorized into sensations and feelings*

*Association*

*how elements are combined (3 ways):*

* *Fusion*
* *Assimilation*
* *Complication*

*Fusion*

*combination of elements that are never separate*

* red rose

*Assimilation*

*combination of what is perceived and what is already in consciousness*

* associating new information with old information

*Complication*

*combination of elements from different modalities (senses)*

* hear and smell something at the same time

Wundt’s Legacy

*By 1900, ¼ of all US labs were started by Wundt’s students*

He is considered the father because he intended to create a new field

What event led to Wundt’s lifelong method of “self as subject”?

His research with Bunsen on the effects of salt intake on urine

Wundt argued that psychology must use immediate experience, whereas the other sciences used mediate experience. What is immediate experience?

Experience as it is directly given to the observer.

The idea that organisms are striving, purposive, goal-directed creatures is ___?

Voluntarism

What does the term “Physiological Psychology” in Wundt’s *Principles of Physiological Psychology* refer to?

Experimental psychology

Wundt discussed the 3 ways in which elements are combined in association. Which of the following is NOT one of the ways discussed?

Continuity

According to Wundt, the subject matter of psychology is:

Immediate Experience

According to your text, what fields of research was Wundt interested in?

Sensation and Perception, Psycholinguistics, and Sociocultural

Who named Tabula Rasa?

John Locke

Who created Mentalism and Idealism?

George Berkely

Who propoded contiguity?

David Hartley

Who came up with the idea of creativity Synthesis?

John Stuart Mill

Who described studying mental events as inappropriate because it "fractionates" experiences?

Johann Herbert

The idea that all knowledge is dependant upon ones perception was proposed by

George Berkely

who discovered Aboslute Threshold?

Fetchner

what occcurs with creative synthesis on elements?

compounds