1. Functionalism: Antecedent Influences
Chapter 6
Ms. Wilson, MS, LPB

2. Topics Scientist Captivated by Childlike Jenny
The Functionalist Protest
The Evolution Revolution: Charles Darwin ( )
Individual Differences: Francis Galton ( )
Animal Psychology and the Development of Functionalism

3. Scientist Captivated by Childlike Jenny
Jenny, 2 year-old orangutan displayed at the London Zoo (1838)
Wore a girl’s dress
Sat at a table
Used a spoon to eat from a plate
Drank from a cup
Understood her keeper’s directions
Recognized what she wasn’t allowed to do

4. The Functionalist Protest
Charles Darwin changes psychology:
No longer concerned with the structure of consciousness but its function
Functionalism: concerned with how the mind functions and how it is used by organisms to adapt to the environment
Focus on practical, real-world consequences
Protest against Wundt and Titchener’s systems
Asks: What does the mind do? How does it do it?

5. The Evolution Revolution: Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
Evolution: suggestion that living things change with time
Idea does not begin with Darwin:
Erasmus Darwin: wrote that all warm-blooded animals evolved from a single living filament
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck: theory of evolution that emphasized modifications to bodily form in order to adapt
Theory of inheritance of acquired characteristic
Charles Lyell: suggests earth had passed through various stages of development
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

6. The Evolution Revolution (cont’d.)
Zeitgeist of the time:
Scientists learning more about the species that inhabit earth (biology)
Centuries of accepting biblical explanations leaves questions: How could Noah fit so many species into the arc?
Examples like Jenny show that animals can be similar to human beings
Discovery of fossils that didn’t match living species

7. Darwin’s Life Grandfathers were two of the most famous men in England
Did poorly in school
Interest in natural history
Was a naturalist on the HMS Beagle
Explored South America and Tahiti
Gather data on animal and plant life
Darwin began to formulate his theory of evolution
Charles Darwin ( )

8. The Journey of the Beagle

9. Darwin’s Life (cont’d.)
Three years later: developed neurotic symptoms: trembling, depression, vomiting, etc.
Worry caused by fear of his theory being condemned
Works on his book for 22 years before presenting it to the public
Motivated by another theorist (Wallace) on the verge of a similar idea

10. Why Darwin published his theory
June 1858, received a letter from Alfred Russel Wallace
Wallace wrote a theory of evolution similar to Darwin
Asked questions, “Why do some die and some live?”
This was addressed at the Linnaean Society
In 1859, Darwin published “Origin of Species”
Immediately sold out

11. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
Fundamental points
Natural selection of traits best suited for the environment
Survival of the fittest: elimination of those not fit for the environment
Variation is a law of heredity
The finches’ beaks: evolution at work
In just one generation, whether conditions cause changes in beak size
Evidence that evolution can be rapid
-CCog

12. Darwin’s Influence on Psychology
The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, Darwin’s most directly related work to psychology.
Focus on animal psychology
Emphasis on the functions rather than the structure of consciousness
Acceptance of methodology and data from many fields
Focus on the description and measurement of individual differences

13. Individual Differences: Francis Galton (1822-1911)
Worked on mental inheritance and individual differences in human capacities
Similar research by Juan Huarte ( )
Book entitled: The Examination of Talented Individuals
Example of the influence of Zeitgeist

14. Galton’s Life Born in 1822 Estimated IQ of 200
Began medical training at age 16
After the death of his father, he pursued his own interests
Darwin’s Cousin
Became interested in studying the inheritance of human abilities and individual differences.
Many interesting achievements
Invented the weather map
Was the first to suggest using fingerprints for identification.

15. Statistical Methods
Galton was impressed with Quetelet’s “average man”.
Developed his own statistical methods in order to quantify and analyze data
Applied the normal curve to mental characteristics
Proposed that the mean and standard deviation were the most useful for describing data
Used correlation as a tool and graphed the correlation coefficient
The correlation coefficient is denoted as : r

16. Mental Inheritance Looks at examples of genius in history
Shows that genius is inherited and a specific form of genius
Proposes eugenics to foster the improvement of inherited qualities in humans
Proposed the development of intelligence tests
Financial incentives for those who score high

17. Mental Tests
Galton assumed intelligence can be measured with sensory capacity
Established the Anthropometric Laboratory, 1884.
Mental tests: tests of motor skill and sensory capacities (unlike intelligence tests)
Invented instruments to measure motor capacity
Collected data from more than 9,000 people
Each person took a total of 17 tests
A century later this data was analyzed and found to have high test retest correlation
Galton established his Anthropometric Laboratory to collect data on human psychometric capacities.
Archives of the History of American Psychology/University of Akron

18. Individual Differences: Francis Galton (1822-1911) (cont’d.)
Galton’s work in other areas:
The association of ideas: Galton researched the diversity of associations and the reaction time
Created a list of 75 words
After one week, measured reaction time for word associations
40 percent associations come from childhood
Developed the word association test
Mental imagery: Galton used survey methods to determine that mental imagery also fits a normal curve
Arithmetic by smell and other topics: Galton’s attempt to count by odors instead of numbers

19. Animal Psychology and the Development of Functionalism
Darwin’s theory of evolution leads to a focus on animal psychology
Idea that no sharp distinction exists between humans and animals
Increased interest in how animals function
May reveal knowledge of how humans function

20. George John Romanes (1848-1894)
Wrote the first book on comparative psychology: Animal Intelligence
Developed the “mental ladder” on which he ordered animals in terms of mental functioning
Method of anecdotal observations, termed introspection through analogy
C. Lloyd Morgan ( )
Recognized the weaknesses in anecdotal and introspection-by-analogy methods
Law of parsimony: the notion that animal behavior must not be attributed to a higher mental process when it can be explained in terms of a lower mental process
Believed animal behavior should not be overestimated to higher mental processes