Lecture 1 – From phrenology to scientific theory
Pre-scientific approaches
Associationism: mental processes proceed by way of
association
All senses come together in one domain; common sense.
Associations may be formed between domain specific
images.
John Locke: the Enlightenment
- Blake slate (tabula rasa): we are born without built-in mental
content
- Sensoristic: all mental content is sensory in nature
- Atomistic: the elementary sensations are the building blocks of
more complex contents
- Associative: more complex contents are created by means of
association
Law of contiguity: basic law of associationism
If two things repeatedly occur simultaneously, the presence of one of them
will remind us of the other
Long-term potentiation: neuronal basis of the law of contiguity
- Hebb’s law: If two nerve cells are simultaneously stimulated for a period of
time, the synapse binding them is strengthened
- Long-term potentiation: a prolonged rise in the efficiency of a synapse
resulting from a change in the neuronal structure. Discovered in the
hippocampus of rabbits
Connectionism: modern form of
associationism
New addition: computer simulations to
test whether the theoretical
assumptions really explain the findings
Horizontal faculties: domain-general functions
Learning, memory, attention, perception, will
Vertical faculties: domain-specific functions
Phrenology:
- Functions are localized in the
brain
- Bumps on skull reflect faculty
- Language
- Arithmetic
- Double-sided
- Pseudo-science: physiognomy: face reflects character
, - A persons character is reflected by features of the face
- Pseudo-science: mesmerism: healing though magnetic forces
- Use of hypnosis and magnets during treatment
- Pseudo-science: mental healing: healing through correct, positive thinking
- Pseudo-science: spiritualism: contact with the spirits of the dead
- Alternative scientific explaining by James Randi: cold reading:
medium hides that he gets the answers from the questions he asks
to the person
Neuroanatomy, time, and psychophysics
Flourens vs. Gall: controversy over holism vs. localizationism
Flourens experimented with the brains of pigeons and rabbits
- Removal of brainstem los of vital functions
- Removal of cerebellum loss of motor coordination
- Removal of cerebral cortex loss of higher mental
functions, but not of specialisations
Broca’s discovery: localization of language of aspects
Damage to left inferior frontal cortex causes speech production
difficulties
Wernicke’s language model: association theory of
language
Concept images: sensory images of a word of the
object that the word refers to (colours,
taste, shape)
- Sensoristic, atomistic, and
associative
Explains aphasia after brain damage
- Brocka’s aphasia: patient has
difficulty producing speech and repeating heard
words. Comprehension is spared
- Wernicke’s aphasia: patient had difficulty understanding speech.
Producing speech is spared
Speed of nerve impulse: conduction of nerve impulse takes time
Speed of mental processes: mental processes take time
, Donder’s subtraction model (1868): determining duration of mental
processes
- C – A = recognition duration
- C – B = choice duration
Sternberg’s additive factors method (1969): identifying stages of
processing
- Clarity influences perception stage
- Number responses influences duration of choice stage
Psychophysics: Weber: just noticeable differences form constant ratio
Psychophysics: Fechner: logarithmic
relation between physical and
psychological quantities
- Physical: A & B are the same
- Psychological: A is larger than B
Stimuli need to have a certain strength
to be perceivable
Modularity of the mind
Modularity of the mind: the mind consists
of modules and central systems
- Modules: localized, domain specific
- Central systems: domain general
- Donders: perception action
Pre-scientific approaches
Associationism: mental processes proceed by way of
association
All senses come together in one domain; common sense.
Associations may be formed between domain specific
images.
John Locke: the Enlightenment
- Blake slate (tabula rasa): we are born without built-in mental
content
- Sensoristic: all mental content is sensory in nature
- Atomistic: the elementary sensations are the building blocks of
more complex contents
- Associative: more complex contents are created by means of
association
Law of contiguity: basic law of associationism
If two things repeatedly occur simultaneously, the presence of one of them
will remind us of the other
Long-term potentiation: neuronal basis of the law of contiguity
- Hebb’s law: If two nerve cells are simultaneously stimulated for a period of
time, the synapse binding them is strengthened
- Long-term potentiation: a prolonged rise in the efficiency of a synapse
resulting from a change in the neuronal structure. Discovered in the
hippocampus of rabbits
Connectionism: modern form of
associationism
New addition: computer simulations to
test whether the theoretical
assumptions really explain the findings
Horizontal faculties: domain-general functions
Learning, memory, attention, perception, will
Vertical faculties: domain-specific functions
Phrenology:
- Functions are localized in the
brain
- Bumps on skull reflect faculty
- Language
- Arithmetic
- Double-sided
- Pseudo-science: physiognomy: face reflects character
, - A persons character is reflected by features of the face
- Pseudo-science: mesmerism: healing though magnetic forces
- Use of hypnosis and magnets during treatment
- Pseudo-science: mental healing: healing through correct, positive thinking
- Pseudo-science: spiritualism: contact with the spirits of the dead
- Alternative scientific explaining by James Randi: cold reading:
medium hides that he gets the answers from the questions he asks
to the person
Neuroanatomy, time, and psychophysics
Flourens vs. Gall: controversy over holism vs. localizationism
Flourens experimented with the brains of pigeons and rabbits
- Removal of brainstem los of vital functions
- Removal of cerebellum loss of motor coordination
- Removal of cerebral cortex loss of higher mental
functions, but not of specialisations
Broca’s discovery: localization of language of aspects
Damage to left inferior frontal cortex causes speech production
difficulties
Wernicke’s language model: association theory of
language
Concept images: sensory images of a word of the
object that the word refers to (colours,
taste, shape)
- Sensoristic, atomistic, and
associative
Explains aphasia after brain damage
- Brocka’s aphasia: patient has
difficulty producing speech and repeating heard
words. Comprehension is spared
- Wernicke’s aphasia: patient had difficulty understanding speech.
Producing speech is spared
Speed of nerve impulse: conduction of nerve impulse takes time
Speed of mental processes: mental processes take time
, Donder’s subtraction model (1868): determining duration of mental
processes
- C – A = recognition duration
- C – B = choice duration
Sternberg’s additive factors method (1969): identifying stages of
processing
- Clarity influences perception stage
- Number responses influences duration of choice stage
Psychophysics: Weber: just noticeable differences form constant ratio
Psychophysics: Fechner: logarithmic
relation between physical and
psychological quantities
- Physical: A & B are the same
- Psychological: A is larger than B
Stimuli need to have a certain strength
to be perceivable
Modularity of the mind
Modularity of the mind: the mind consists
of modules and central systems
- Modules: localized, domain specific
- Central systems: domain general
- Donders: perception action
