Psychology History (Pages 1–3) — Vocabulary Flashcards

Wundt and the origins of experimental psychology

• Wilhelm Wundt (German psychologist) founded experimental psychology and established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, 1879; a prolific writer.
• Stimulus error: The tendency to name a stimulus you see rather than describing its properties.
• Creative Synthesis: A viewpoint that disagreed with mental chemistry; emphasizes holistic synthesis of mental processes.
• DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Key figures and concepts that shaped early psychology

• Galileo: Italian astronomer who observed craters on the Moon and challenged Aristotle's views; later pressured to recant by the Church.
• Hedonistic: Related to the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain.
• Hedonism: The doctrine that pleasure is the highest good; modern usage often linked to excess.
• Freud: Sigmund Freud; founder of psychoanalysis and a central figure in psychology.
• Skinner: B. F. Skinner; prominent behaviorist; described in the notes as the second most important figure.
• Socrates: Ancient philosopher known for the idea "Know thyself" and the claim that the unexamined life is not worth living.
• Golden mean: Aristotle's principle that virtue lies in moderation and nothing in excess.

Philosophical foundations and schools

• Thales: One of the earliest philosophers; often referred to as the first philosopher.
• Conflict theory: A perspective that sees society as organized around conflict over resources and power.
• Philosophy: The discipline of asking fundamental questions and forming ideas, sometimes with limited empirical evidence.
• Voluntarism/Volunteerism: Wundt's school of thought that the mind actively organizes experiences; emphasizes the will.
• Titchener: Wilhelm Wundt's student; founder of structuralism.
• Structuralism: School focusing on the structure of conscious experience through introspection.
• Volkerpsychologie: Wundt's ten-volume work, often translated as 'Culture/Folk Psychology'.
• Prolific: Producing a large amount of writing or work.
• Tabula rasa: Blank slate; the mind is thought to be a blank state at birth (associated with Locke).
• Nature vs. Nurture: Debate about whether genes (nature) or environment (nurture) shape behavior and mental traits.
• Locke: English philosopher and empiricist who argued that knowledge comes from experience and observation.
• Empiricist: A person who relies on observation and experience.
• Thales: A person who believes knowledge comes from sensory experience and observation.
• Syllogism: A form of deductive reasoning with two premises leading to a conclusion; associated with Aristotle.
• Lyceum: Aristotle's school in ancient Athens.
• Dogma: A belief established by authority as incontrovertibly true; not open to argument.

Prolific, Tabula rasa, and related debates

• Prolific: Producing a large amount of writing or work.
• Tabula rasa: Blank slate; the mind is thought to be a blank state at birth (associated with Locke).
• Nature vs. Nurture: Debate about whether genes (nature) or environment (nurture) shape behavior and mental traits.
• Locke: English philosopher and empiricist who argued that knowledge comes from experience and observation.
• Empiricist: A person who relies on observation and experience.

Syllogisms, schools, and ethical foundations

• Syllogism: A form of deductive reasoning with two premises leading to a conclusion; associated with Aristotle.
• Lyceum: Aristotle's school in ancient Athens.
• Dogma: A belief established by authority as incontrovertibly true; not open to argument.

Recantation and historical context

• Recant: To withdraw or renounce a statement or belief; Galileo did so under Church pressure.

Connections and significance

• Wundt’s legacy anchored the shift from philosophy to an empirical, laboratory-based approach in psychology.
• The stimulus error emphasizes the difference between describing sensory properties and naming the stimulus, foreshadowing broader debates about description vs. interpretation in perception.
• Creative Synthesis contrasts with mental chemistry by stressing holistic processing over reductionist decomposition of mental events.
• The DSM represents the modern clinical framework that evolved from early debates about mental illness into standardized criteria for diagnosis.
• Galileo’s recantation illustrates the historical tension between scientific inquiry and religious authority, highlighting ethical and practical constraints on scientific work.
• The philosophical lineage from Thales to Locke frames the nature-nurture debate and the rise of empiricism as foundational to psychological inquiry.
• Aristotle’s Golden Mean informs ethical considerations in psychology, such as balancing competing values in research and practice.
• Voluntarism and structuralism reflect early efforts to map mind structure and voluntary control, while Volkerpsychologie extends psychology’s scope to culture and collective phenomena.
• The recantation example and debates about dogma underscore the importance of critical thinking and evidence in scientific progress.

Practical implications and real-world relevance

• Understanding stimulus error helps in designing better perception experiments and in clinical assessment that avoids labeling based on superficial cues.
• The nature/nurture debate remains central to education, parenting, and social policy, influencing approaches to intervention and support.
• Recognizing the historical context of DSM and diagnostic criteria informs current debates about labeling, stigma, and the boundaries of psychiatric classification.
• The legacy of empiricism and structured inquiry supports ongoing methodological rigor in psychological research.

Notable names and quick references

• Wundt: Founder of experimental psychology; first lab in Leipzig, 1879.
• Voluntarism: Mind actively organizes experiences; emphasis on will.
• Titchener: Structuralism via introspection.
• Galilei (Galileo): Empirical observer who faced institutional constraints.
• Freud: Psychoanalysis founder.
• Skinner: Behaviorism advocate; second most cited figure in the notes.
• Socrates: Dialectical method; emphasis on self-knowledge.
• Aristotle: Golden Mean; Lyceum; foundational logic (Syllogisms).
• Locke: Tabula rasa; empiricism.
• Thales: Early philosopher; sensory-based knowledge.
• Plato, Aristotle, and the classical tradition: Context for later scientific thinking.