History of Ψ /Capstone Unit II Study Guide

History of   Ψ /Capstone Unit II Study Guide 

Vocabulary

Institute- A special part of a university that focuses on teaching and researching one subject in detail. Wundt’s psychology lab became the first official institute for psychology.

Psychodynamism- A way of thinking about the mind that focuses on hidden thoughts and feelings, especially ones from childhood, that shape behavior. Sigmund Freud created this approach.

Behaviorism-  The idea that psychology should study only what can be seen and measured, liken actions, rather than thoughts and emotions. Major figures include John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner, and Edward Thorndike. 

Structuralism- A way of studying the mind by breaking down thoughts and experiences into smaller parts. Wundt and Titchener used this approach. 

Functionalism- The idea that thoughts and behaviors exist because they help us survive and adapt to our environment. William James was a big supporter of this approach.

Introspection- (This is what Wundt believed in), It is studying the mind by observing one’s own thoughts and emotions. 

Imageless thoughts- The idea that some thoughts don’t come with a picture or mental image, challenging the belief that all thinking involves visualization.

Mental chronometry- A way to measure how fast people think by timing their reactions in different mental tasks.

Gestaltism- A way of looking at psychology that says we see and understand things as whole patterns rather than individual parts. Example: We see a face, not just eyes, nose, and mouth.

Associationism- The idea that learning happens when we connect things in our mind, like linking a smell to a memory or a word to its meaning.

Puzzle box- A box that Edward Thorndike used in experiments with cats to study how they learn through trial and error.

Law of effect- The idea that behaviors followed by good results happen more often, while behaviors followed by bad results happen less. This is how we learn from rewards and punishments.

Philosophy of science- The study of how science works, including how we create and test ideas and what counts as good scientific evidence.

Turing test- A test designed by Alan Turing to see if a machine (computer) can think like a human by having a conversation with people.

Homunculus- A way to show how different parts of the body are controlled by the brain. It’s often drawn as a weird, distorted human figure where big body parts mean more brain control.

Prägnanz- A rule in Gestalt psychology that says our brain likes simple, organized patterns when we look at things. Example: We see a smiley face instead of just random dots.

Computer metaphor- The idea that the human brain works like a computer, processing information, storing memories, and making decisions.

Important Figures

Bonaparte James- Refers to Napoleon Bonaparte, the French leader who defeated Prussia in one of the first Napoleonic Wars. This loss weakened Prussia and later influenced its development, including its education system.

Titchener- A student of Wundt who brought psychology to the U.S. and developed structuralism, which focused on breaking down mental experiences into basic elements.

Galton- A scientist who believed intelligence was inherited. He also created the first intelligence tests and helped develop the use of statistics in psychology.

Binetti- (Likely Alfred Binet) – Created the first intelligence test to help find children who needed extra help in school. His work led to modern IQ tests.

Freud- The founder of psychoanalysis, which focuses on the unconscious mind, childhood experiences, and dreams. He introduced ideas like the id, ego, and superego to explain personality.

Thorndike- Known for the Law of Effect, which says that behaviors followed by good outcomes are likely to happen again, and those followed by bad outcomes are less likely to happen. He studied learning with cats in a puzzle box.

Watson- A psychologist who founded behaviorism, which focuses only on studying observable behavior (what people actually do, not what they think or feel). He wanted psychology to be a science.

Pavlov- Discovered classical conditioning by studying how dogs can learn to associate things, like a bell ringing with food. He showed that animals (and humans) can learn through associations.

Wundt- & The Birth of Psychology “Considered the Father of Modern Psychology”

• Wrote the first psychology textbook (Principles of Physiological Psychology, 1873).

• Founded the first psychology lab (University of Leipzig, 1879).

• His lab became an Institute where psychologists from around the world trained and then started their own labs.

Hull- A psychologist who studied learning and motivation. He created ideas about how rewards drive learning, and he used math to explain behavior.

Skinner- A major figure in behaviorism who developed operant conditioning. He showed how behaviors can be shaped by rewards and punishments. He invented the Skinner Box to study animal learning.

Tolman- A psychologist who studied how we learn in a way that doesn’t always require rewards. He showed that animals (and people) can create mental maps of places, even without rewards.

von Neumann- A mathematician who helped develop the idea that our brains process information like a computer.

Boring- A historian of psychology who helped explain the history of psychology and how the field developed over time.

Fred II of Prussia-( “Frederick the Great”), 

• Ruled Prussia in the 18th century, creating a secular state where religion wasn’t involved in government.

• Focused on public enlightenment—built libraries, museums, opera houses, etc., to educate people.

• He put the country over himself—built a palace for government but lived in a much simpler home.

*BIRTH YEAR OF PSYCHOLOGY: 1879