Notes on History of Psychology
William James
Considered the father of American psychology.
One of the first advocates of functionalism in psychology.
Developed the James-Lange theory which posits that emotions arise from awareness of physiological states.
Distinguished between two parts of consciousness:
Transitive parts that refer to other elements in the stream of thoughts.
Substantive parts where one can focus and feel a sense of permanence.
Functional Psychology
Functionalism seeks to understand mental life and behavior in terms of active adaptation to the environment.
Emerged in the U.S. in the late 19th century as an alternative to structuralism.
While not a formal school, it laid the groundwork for later psychological theories.
Strong relationship exists between functionalism and pragmatism in philosophy.
John Dewey (Pragmatist)
Made significant contributions to learning theory, emphasizing active learning and direct experience in education.
Published "School and Society" and founded a pedagogical laboratory.
Stressed the importance of the scientific method in psychology and education.
Critiqued philosophers for neglecting mental functions that constitute thought itself.
Pragmatism
A philosophical movement from the 19th century suggesting that thought’s primary function is prediction and action, rather than reality representation.
Knowledge is considered true based on its practical consequences.
Key founder: Charles Sanders Pierce.
Edward Lee Thorndike (Functionalist/Behaviorist)
Proposed that animals learn mechanically.
Suggested learning involves connections between stimulus and response.
Sigmund Freud (Psychoanalyst)
Regarded as the father of psychoanalysis.
Developed the defense mechanisms and psychosexual development theory.
Psychoanalysis
A theory explaining human behavior based on analysis of sexual conflicts originating from childhood.
Instinctual impulses repressed by consciousness remain in the unconscious, affecting the individual.
Psychoanalyst must interpret dreams, failures, and free association to reveal unconscious conflicts.
Freud’s model of the mind:
Id (El Ello): Operates unconsciously, seeking pleasure/instincts (Eros - life instincts, Thanatos - death instincts).
Ego (El Yo): Develops in childhood, balances the id’s demands with social reality.
Superego (El Super-Yo): Enforces moral standards, inducing guilt for not adhering to norms.
Defense Mechanisms
Incorrect ways to resolve psychological conflict, potentially leading to mental disorders.
Psychosexual Theory
Oral Stage: Birth to 18 months - pleasure focuses on the mouth.
Anal Stage: 18 months to 3 years - control over bodily functions becomes central.
Phallic Stage: 3 to 6 years - genital focus and interest in sexual differences.
Latency Stage: 6 years to puberty - focus on learning and social interaction.
Genital Stage: Puberty onwards - sexual curiosity and exploration.
Dream Analysis
Dreams reveal unconscious desires while defenses are down.
Manifest content: the surface narrative of dreams.
Latent content: the hidden meaning behind the dream.
Edmund Husserl (Phenomenologist)
Founder of transcendent phenomenology.
Authored "Philosophy of Arithmetic", focusing on numerical symbols.
Phenomenology
Seeks to renew philosophy by reconnecting with science, analyzing mental phenomena as they occur in consciousness.
Max Scheler (Phenomenologist)
Used phenomenology to study emotional phenomena and their intentionality.
Developed the sense theory of suffering, suggesting pain must serve a purpose.
Behaviorism
Focuses on observable behavior rather than intrapsychic factors.
Studies laws governing human/animal behavior.
Key Terms in Behaviorism
Stimulus: Any signal or event provoking an organism's reaction.
Response: The organism's reaction to a stimulus.
Conditioning: Learning through stimulus-response associations.
Reinforcement: Consequence enhancing the likelihood of a behavior.
Punishment: Consequence that reduces a behavior's occurrence.
Key Figures in Behaviorism
Conwy Lloyd Morgan: Differentiated instinctual vs learned reactions in animals; proposed the law of parsimony.
Ivan Pavlov: Experiments leading to classical conditioning concepts.
John B. Watson: Conducted the "Little Albert" experiment to demonstrate learned fears through conditioning.
Burrhus F. Skinner: Advocated for operant conditioning; used Skinner boxes for his experiments on reinforcement.
Donald Hebb (Neo-Functionalist)
Considered the father of psychobiology, laid foundations for modern neurology.
Proposed that synaptic connections strengthen when neurons fire together.
Jean Piaget (Cognitivist/Developmental Psychologist)
Father of genetic epistemology, developed cognitive-evolutionary theory, outlining developmental stages.
Abraham Maslow (Humanist)
Created the Hierarchy of Needs, emphasizing self-actualization after basic needs are met.
Carl Rogers (Humanist)
Pioneer of humanistic psychology; emphasized non-directive therapy centered on client involvement.
Client-Centered Therapy
Views clients as active participants in therapy, with therapists providing support rather than direction.
Viktor Frankl (Humanist)
Developed logotherapy, stressing the importance of finding meaning in suffering.
Jerry Fodor (Cognitivist)
Proposed the modularity of mind theory, emphasizing specialized processes in problem-solving.
Cognitive Psychology
Studies mental processes like reasoning, learning, and problem-solving.
Focuses on how stimuli are processed and how this affects behavior and emotions.
Investigates cognitive development, language acquisition, decision-making, and creativity.
Wilhelm Wundt (Structuralist)
Established the first experimental psychology lab and promoted introspective methods.
Developed Völkerpsychologie, examining collective behavior and the psychological history of humanity.
Gustav Fechner (Experimentalist)
Formulated Weber-Fechner Law, relating physical stimuli to associated sensations.
One of the founders of experimental psychology, demonstrating the mind's capacity for measurement and mathematical analysis.