Topical Review Guide Exam 3

Topical Study Guide for Exam #3

  • Date: December 2nd, 2024

  • Materials: Lectures 10-16, Chapters 8-10, & 13-14.

Chapter 10 – Psychology Comes to America

American Research Universities in the 1800s

  • Johns Hopkins University (1876)

    • First research university focused on higher education and scientific research.

    • Founding President: Daniel Coit Gilman.

Key Changes by Daniel Gillman

  1. Admission to medical school required graduate school completion.

  2. Financial support offered through fellowships to qualified students.

  3. Established academic departments as recognized today.

Development of Psychology in America

  1. Psychology was virtually unknown in the mid-19th century.

  2. William James at Harvard - identified as a father of psychology; first to teach a psychology course in the US.

  3. Americans returning from Germany who studied under Wilhelm Wundt to develop labs.

  4. Debates arose among three schools of thought: Structuralism, Behavioralism, and Functionalism.

Key Scholars of the 19th-20th Century

  1. William James (1842-1910)

  2. G. Stanley Hall (1844-1924)

Biographical Information About James and Hall

William James

  • Born in New York City, NY, oldest of five children.

  • Wealthy background, connected to intellectual elites, with a godfather as Ralph Waldo Emerson.

  • Received education in Europe and was fluently multilingual.

  • Began studying medicine at Harvard in 1864; career influenced by struggles with anxiety and depression.

G. Stanley Hall

  • Born in Ashfield, Massachusetts.

  • Aspiring to avoid a future like his father's farming background.

  • Studied philosophy and the theory of evolution; later became an influential educator who worked alongside William James.

America in the 1840s-Early 1900s

Climate and Lifestyle

  • The period experienced the Little Ice Age, ending around 1950, affecting agriculture and resource availability.

  • Government changes frequently; 20 different presidents from 1841-1924.

  • Transition from a pre-industrial to an industrial economy by 1915.

  • Economic volatility with the rise of white-collar jobs and mass migration due to the gold rush.

  • Common activities included dancing with player pianos in the 1840s.

James and His Contributions

  • Established a laboratory at Harvard around the same time Wundt was experimenting in Germany.

  • Authored The Principles of Psychology (1890), a significant textbook in the field.

  • Contributions included theories on space perception, emotions (James-Lange theory), instincts/habits, psychopathology, self-psychology, memory models, and the physiological understandings of behavior.

Definition of Functionalism

  • A school of thought that emphasizes the utility of behavior and is rooted in Darwinian principles.

  • William James was a pivotal figure inspired by Darwin's work.

Stanley Hall's Contributions

Achievements and Publications

  • First American to receive a PhD in psychology.

  • Established a research laboratory that differed in purpose from James's lab (teaching vs. research).

  • Published Adolescence (1904), recognized adolescent sexuality as a legitimate research topic.

  • Authored books on the psychology of religion and aging, alongside initiatives for advancing psychology through journals and national societies.

Chapter 11 – Functionalism

Evolution from Structuralism

  • Functionalism emerged as a response to structuralism, focusing on how the mind works versus its structures.

  • Key figures included William James (Functionalism) and Edward Titchener (Structuralism).

  • Functionalism paved the way for later movements like Behaviorism.

Notable Functionalists and Transitional Figures

  • Functionalists: William James, Charles Sanders Peirce.

  • Transitionalists: Hugo Münsterberg, Lightner Witmer, William McDougall, G. Stanley Hall.

Contributions of Women and African Americans

  • Women: Mary Whiton Calkins, Christine Ladd-Franklin, Margaret Floy Washburn.

  • African Americans: Francis Cecil Sumner, Kenneth Bancroft Clark, Mamie Phipps Clark.

Chapter 12 – Behaviorism and Neo-Behaviorism

Understanding Behaviorism

  • Defined as a learning theory where all behaviors are conditioned by interactions with the environment, popularized by John Watson.

  • Pivoted away from studying consciousness to behavior.

Key Behaviorist Scholars

  • Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, B.F. Skinner among others.

Differing Perspectives in Behaviorism

  • Notable differences in emphasis on reflexes: Pavlov focused on conditioned reflexes; Bekhterev emphasized broader reflex roles.

Chapter 13 – Social Psychology

Primary Focus Areas

  1. Social Thinking: Perception of self/others, beliefs, judgments, attitudes.

  2. Social Influence: Effects of culture, conformity pressures, and persuasion.

  3. Social Relations: Exploration of prejudice, aggression, attraction, intimacy, and helping behaviors.

Historical Impact on Social Psychology

  • Influences from WWI and WWII, particularly in understanding societal behavior during conflict.

Notable Scholars

  • Kurt Lewin: Father of social psychology, group dynamics.

  • Peter Blau: Social exchange theory innovator.

  • Jane Elliott: Known for the brown eyes/blue eyes discrimination exercise.

  • Stanley Milgram: Famous for obedience studies.

Chapter 15 – Foundational Thinkers

Key Scholars

  1. Jean Piaget

    • Contributions to cognitive development and genetic epistemology.

  2. Lev Vygotsky

    • Social constructivism and the role of social context in learning.

Chapter 16 – Cognition and AI

Mind-Computer Analogy

  • Concept that compares cognitive processes to computing, engaging information processing methodologies.

Contributions to Cognitive Science and AI

  • Important figures: Rumelhart and McClelland with Parallel-Distributed Processing theory.

Summative Notes

  • Key Historical Events: Shifts in government, women in the workforce during WWII influencing social dynamics and psychology.

  • Impacts on Education: Trends toward inclusive learning and demographic influences on educational access.


This study guide outlines major themes and key figures in the development of psychology in America.Use these notes for efficient revision ahead of the exam!