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Unit 0: Scientific Foundations of Psychology

Roots of Psychology

• Definition: Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

• Historical Origins: Traced back to philosophy and biology over 2,000 years ago in ancient Greece.

  • Hippocrates: Believed the mind/soul resides in the brain but isn't physical (mind-body dualism).

  • Plato: Advocated dualism and that knowledge is innate, obtained through self-examination of inner experiences.

  • Aristotle: Proposed monism, asserting that the mind/soul is a product of anatomy and physiology, with knowledge acquired from experience.

Key Psychologists

Early Influencers

• Plato: Emphasized nature in psychological development.

• Aristotle: Supported nurture in psychological development.

Additional Philosophers

• Thomas Hobbes: English philosopher.

• René Descartes: French philosopher.

• John Locke: English philosopher.

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau: French philosopher.

Pioneers of Psychology

• Gustav Fechner: Introduced the concept of just noticeable difference (JND) for empirical psychological measurement.

• Charles Darwin: Developed the theory of natural selection.

• Wilhelm Wundt: Established one of the first psychology laboratories; contributed to structuralism.

Contributions to Psychology

• Edward Bradford Titchener: American psychologist associated with structuralism.

• G. Stanley Hall: Brought introspection to his lab; first president of the American Psychological Association.

• Margaret Floy Washburn: First woman to earn a PhD in psychology.

• William James: Helped develop functionalism; opened a psychology lab.

• Ivan Pavlov: Known for classical conditioning.

Further Contributions

• Hermann Ebbinghaus: Researched memory and retention of nonsense syllables.

• Sigmund Freud: Founded psychodynamic psychology.

• John B. Watson: Established behaviorism.

• Sir Frederic Bartlett: Explored cognitive and social aspects of memory.

• Jean Piaget: Developed theories on children's cognitive development.

• B.F. Skinner: Pioneered behaviorism.

• Mary Whiton Calkins: First female president of the American Psychological Association.

Theoretical Frameworks in Psychology

Structuralism

• Definition: Focus on the structure of the mind and its basic elements (sensations, feelings, images).

• Method: Involves introspection; trained observers analyze sensory experiences systematically.

Functionalism

• Definition: Examines mental operations and their adaptation to the environment, explaining behavior.