Study Guide – Midterm Exam I
1) The Science of P
1. What Is Psych
Psycho
Explan nciple - a
princip
2. Intuition vs. S
Part o
Scienc
Critica ported
eviden
ormation
Biases
Failing to see our own inadequacies (self-serving bias)
3. Scientific Foundations of Psychology
Psychology originated in philosophy
Roots of Epistemology (how do we gain knowledge?)
Plato: Founder of Rationalism (rational analysis to understand the world, rather
than empirical observation); We are born with the knowledge inside our mind – we just
need to find a way to get it out. Case in point: Mathematics can predict the world even
before we get to observe it
1
, Study Guide – Midterm Exam I
Aristotle: Founder of Empiricism (my teacher is nuts – we need to observe the
physical world we live in to gain knowledge of it)
Mind-body (brain) problem since antiquity
Nature-nurture debate (continues today – sort of)
Cartesian Dualism (from Descartes, 17th c.)
British Empiricists (17th-18th c.; e.g., John Locke, George Berkeley): all knowledge comes from
our senses
4. Origins of Experimental Psychology
Emergence of schools of thought (or perspectives) in psychology as a separate field from
philosophy
Began with introspection – an examination of subjective mental experiences
Introspection requires people to inspect and report on the content of their thoughts
Wilhelm Wundt – father of exp/al psychology
e
–
emerged as the antithesis to structuralism – influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution
William James (late 19th century): first American psychologist
Stream of consciousness – a person’s continuous
series of ever changing thoughts
Mind like a river
→ structuralism
Evolution, Adaptation, and Behavior
One of the major influences on functionalism was Charles Darwin
Evolutionary theory – views the history of a species in terms of inherited adaptive value
Variation in features due to random mutations
Natural selection – mutations that facilitate survival and reproduction are passed along
Adaptation – as genetic mutations are passed from generation to generation, species
change over time
Gestalt Psychology
2
, Study Guide – Midterm Exam I
Gestalt theory - the whole of personal experience is more than the sum of its parts (e.g., Koffka)
Goes against structuralist approach
The perception of objects is subjective and dependent on context (Why introspection does not
work)
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud - Much of human behavior is determined by mental processes operating in the
unconscious, below the level of awareness.
Behavioris
environmental forces in producing observable behavior
nature vs. nurture
The most successful school of thought in psychology, dominated the 20th century, and is still
applicable today (with some modifications)
It explains AND predicts behavior based on a few principles
BUT: it overemphasizes observable behavior and ignores all else
Cognitive Approaches
Reaction to Behaviorism → Cognitive Revolution of the ‘60s
Cognitive psychology - the study of mental functions such as intelligence, thinking, language,
memory, and decision making
Information-processing theories – computer as a metaphor for thinking
Cognitive neuroscience – the study of neural mechanisms underlying thought, learning,
perception, language, and memory
Social and Personality Psychology
Development of specific fields in parallel to the aforementioned perspectives
Emphasized a scientific, experimental approach to understanding how people are influenced by
others:
Social psychology: the study of how people influence other people’s thoughts, feelings,
and actions → what makes people the same
3
1) The Science of P
1. What Is Psych
Psycho
Explan nciple - a
princip
2. Intuition vs. S
Part o
Scienc
Critica ported
eviden
ormation
Biases
Failing to see our own inadequacies (self-serving bias)
3. Scientific Foundations of Psychology
Psychology originated in philosophy
Roots of Epistemology (how do we gain knowledge?)
Plato: Founder of Rationalism (rational analysis to understand the world, rather
than empirical observation); We are born with the knowledge inside our mind – we just
need to find a way to get it out. Case in point: Mathematics can predict the world even
before we get to observe it
1
, Study Guide – Midterm Exam I
Aristotle: Founder of Empiricism (my teacher is nuts – we need to observe the
physical world we live in to gain knowledge of it)
Mind-body (brain) problem since antiquity
Nature-nurture debate (continues today – sort of)
Cartesian Dualism (from Descartes, 17th c.)
British Empiricists (17th-18th c.; e.g., John Locke, George Berkeley): all knowledge comes from
our senses
4. Origins of Experimental Psychology
Emergence of schools of thought (or perspectives) in psychology as a separate field from
philosophy
Began with introspection – an examination of subjective mental experiences
Introspection requires people to inspect and report on the content of their thoughts
Wilhelm Wundt – father of exp/al psychology
e
–
emerged as the antithesis to structuralism – influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution
William James (late 19th century): first American psychologist
Stream of consciousness – a person’s continuous
series of ever changing thoughts
Mind like a river
→ structuralism
Evolution, Adaptation, and Behavior
One of the major influences on functionalism was Charles Darwin
Evolutionary theory – views the history of a species in terms of inherited adaptive value
Variation in features due to random mutations
Natural selection – mutations that facilitate survival and reproduction are passed along
Adaptation – as genetic mutations are passed from generation to generation, species
change over time
Gestalt Psychology
2
, Study Guide – Midterm Exam I
Gestalt theory - the whole of personal experience is more than the sum of its parts (e.g., Koffka)
Goes against structuralist approach
The perception of objects is subjective and dependent on context (Why introspection does not
work)
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud - Much of human behavior is determined by mental processes operating in the
unconscious, below the level of awareness.
Behavioris
environmental forces in producing observable behavior
nature vs. nurture
The most successful school of thought in psychology, dominated the 20th century, and is still
applicable today (with some modifications)
It explains AND predicts behavior based on a few principles
BUT: it overemphasizes observable behavior and ignores all else
Cognitive Approaches
Reaction to Behaviorism → Cognitive Revolution of the ‘60s
Cognitive psychology - the study of mental functions such as intelligence, thinking, language,
memory, and decision making
Information-processing theories – computer as a metaphor for thinking
Cognitive neuroscience – the study of neural mechanisms underlying thought, learning,
perception, language, and memory
Social and Personality Psychology
Development of specific fields in parallel to the aforementioned perspectives
Emphasized a scientific, experimental approach to understanding how people are influenced by
others:
Social psychology: the study of how people influence other people’s thoughts, feelings,
and actions → what makes people the same
3
