Module 1

Evolution of Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt = father of modern psychology

Wilhelm Wundt = structuralist

Edward Titchener = structuralist

• Edward Titchener = systematic introspection
  • Introspection was a method refined by Wundt to understand the components of mental processes by relying on trained participants’ self-reports of their thoughts, feelings, and mental images.
• Edward Titchener worked under Wilhelm Wundt

William James = father of American Psychology

William James = functionalist

• Functionalists preferred to consider psychological processes in terms of their functions

BF Skinner = behaviourist

John Watson = behaviourist

Cognitive Revolution was influenced by the computer

• Cognitive Revolution was a return to studying mental processes

Sigmund Freud = psychoanalysis

• psychoanalysis = understanding the unconscious mind

Humanists preferred to consider the treatment of mental illness in terms of helping people become their best selves, contrary to Freud’s darker view of human nature.

• Functional explanations describe specific proximate causes, whereas process-oriented explanations describe specific proximate mechanisms.

Ultimate Explanation is evolutionary purpose of a phenomenon.

Functional Explanation is consider the immediate causes.

Process-oriented Explanations provide mechanistic explanations (e.g., biological or psychological mechanisms).

Roediger and Karpicke studied the effect that tests (the independent variable) had on the memory recall (dependent variable) of relevant educational material.

• Roediger and Karpicke hypothesized that repeated testing of educational material should lead to greater recall of information than simply studying

Henry Molaison (H.M)

• Researchers studied Henry Molaison (H.M) and gained valuable information about memory that could be used to formulate hypotheses and generate future research.