Welcome to Unit 2 Seminar! History of Psychology Welcome to Unit 2 Seminar!

TONIGHT This week's seminar is about both the philosophical influences of psychology and the physiological connection.  More specifically we will discuss the contributions of Rene Descartes (/day-cart’/), John Stuart Mill, James Mill, and John Locke.  

Perry’s Theory of Intellectual Development Dualism Unquestioning, absolute, right/wrong Multiplicity Multiple points of view Relativism Knowledge is contextual and relative Commitment to Relativism Beyond the classroom, integration to self

Some Terminology… Psychology is the scientific study of mind (thoughts, feelings, etc.) and behavior (actions). Historiography The principles, methods, and philosophical issues of historical research. Zeitgeist “spirit of the time,” the intellectual and cultural climate

Major Themes in Psychology Structuralism Functionalism Gestalt psychology Psychodynamics Behaviorism Humanistic Cognitive Neuroscience

What is the mind-body problem and how does it relate to psychology? QUESTION What is the mind-body problem and how does it relate to psychology?

Mind-body Problem Distinction between mental and physical qualities. Dualist position states they are separate; how does one influence the other? The direction and interplay of the mind (spirit/soul) and the physical.

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) Before Descartes, the accepted point of view was that the interaction between the mind and body was essentially unidirectional (went in one direction), that the mind influenced the body, but not the other way around. the harmony and order of the universe could be explained in terms of the clock’s regularity—which is built into the machine by the clockmaker just as the regularity of the universe was thought to be built into it by God” (p. 23). Died at 64-years of age from pneumonia in the royal Swedish court.

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) “The harmony and order of the universe could be explained in terms of the clock’s regularity—which is built into the machine by the clockmaker just as the regularity of the universe was thought to be built into it by God” (Schultz & Schultz, 2011, p. 23). the harmony and order of the universe could be explained in terms of the clock’s regularity—which is built into the machine by the clockmaker just as the regularity of the universe was thought to be built into it by God” (p. 23).

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) The mind influences the body; however, the body exerts a great influence on the mind Bidirectional, not uni-directional Innate knowledge Conarium – Descartes believed the conarium was the passage or linking mechanism to the metaphysical, a place in the brain that linked the physical with the spiritual.  He determined that the pineal gland did this. The primary role of the pineal gland is the productiton of the chemical melatonin which aids in regulation of your circadian rhythms (your body's natural clock which tells you when its time to wake up and time to sleep). Of course this gland and this chemical are only 2 parts of a very complex and incompletely understood sleep pathway. The pineal gland (from the Latin pinea, meaning "pinecone") is a small gland located in the midbrain at the posterior end of the third ventricle.

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) The Zeitgeist of the times. In what way was Descartes’ life and intellect influenced by the era in which he lived? Lifestyle Pursuits Social settings Political settings Moral/religious settings Mind/body connection

The New Science of Psychology What is positivism?

Positivism The doctrine that recognizes only natural phenomena or facts that are objectively observable and not debatable. Auguste Comte (1798-1857) Anti-metaphysical positivism -- When Comte learned he was dying, said that his death would be an irreparable loss to the world. Everything of a speculative, inferential, or metaphysical nature he declared illusory, and thus rejected. He was brilliant but troubled, and he struggled with frequent periods of dementia.

The New Science of Psychology What is positivism? Write in your own words what positivism is.

The New Science of Psychology What is positivism? The idea that science should be based totally on observable facts is called positivism

The New Science of Psychology What is materialism? 

Materialism The doctrine that considers the facts of the universe to be sufficiently explained in physical terms by the existence and nature of matter.

The New Science of Psychology What is materialism? 

The New Science of Psychology What is materialism?  Matter is all there is to explain the universe. Materialism denies there is anything of importance other than the material (matter). Only what we can measure and perceive is real to a materialist.

John Locke (1632-1704) Rejected Descartes’ notion of innate knowledge Tabula Rasa (blank slate) Nurture not nature Everything is learned through experience Simple ideas are received passively; upon reflection, simple ideas make up complex ideas. assimilation/accomodation of schemas (Piaget)

The New Science of Psychology What is empiricism?

Empiricism The pursuit of knowledge through the observation of nature and the attribution of knowledge to experience; knowledge through observation and experimentation. Relates to Bandura’s philosophy which he brought back into popularity in the 1970s.

The New Science of Psychology What is empiricism? (State this in your own words to the class)

James Mill (1773-1836) Father of John Stuart Mill Machine not a metaphor for the mind, rather the mind IS a machine. No free will Mind is passive, acted on by external stimuli Learning through association (linking) Early behaviorism

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) Son of James Mill Argued against mind as machine, rather mind was active in association process Creative synthesis Combination of mental elements creates something greater than the sum of its parts (…Gestalt roots).

The Scientific Approach to Psychology The German approach to science – defined broadly as compared to England and France Measurement Ernst Weber (1795–1878) Gustav Theodor Fechner (1801–1887) Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–1894)

Herman von Helmholz Helmholtz abandoned his research into human reaction times.

Herman von Helmholz Helmholtz abandoned his research into human reaction times. He found individual differences from one individual to the next.

Herman von Helmholz Helmholtz abandoned his research into human reaction times. He found individual differences from one individual to the next. He found differences within the responses of the same individual.

Question What is the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli?

Question What is the smallest detectable difference between two stimuli? “just noticeable difference” coined by Weber

Absolute Threshold The definition of the point of sensitivity below which no sensation can be detected and above which sensation can be experienced

Psychophysics The scientific study of the relations between mental and physical processes

Reference Littell, T. (2010). Adapted from Power Point presentation. Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2011). History of modern psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Stark, R. (2005). Victory of reason. New York: Random House.