Individual Differences – Introduction and Psychoanalytical Perspectives by Dr Michael
Mantzios
- Individual Difference (ID) TIMELINE
o 400BC – Plato
The Republic of Plato
“no two persons are born exactly alike…one being suited for one
occupation and another for another”
o Middle ages
o Mid-1800s
Fechner & Weber
rise of experimental psychology
o method of Just Notable Differences
how much two stimuli may vary to be
distinguished as different
o method of Constant Stimuli
each variable compared several times
the point at which 50% of the judgements are
correct is considered the threshold
development of measurement of ID (psychophysical)
o since been adapted for measurement of IDs
Broca
Developed firsts ID tests
o Brain size as an indicator of intelligence
o Used to perpetuate sexism
Men: survival, protector, compete
Women: passive, restricted, sedentary
Critiques (by Stephen Jay Gould)
o Age better determiner of brain weight – NOT gender
o Women were older than men
Difference reduced from 181 to 113g
o Sample: 13 people (7 males, 6 females)
o Wundt: first experimenter psychology lab (1879)
Visual and auditory sensation
Psychophysics (Anastasia, 1958)
Discover general laws that apply to all humans
Ignored IDs (Tyler, 1995)
IDs frowned upon by early experimenters
IDs meant less accurate generalisations – se were ignored
o Capitalism and Democracy
Paved the way to study IDs
Previously unheard of: specialization of human talent
Industrial needs created industrial class structure
RATIONALIZED by IDs (Marks, 1976)
IDs serve as pre-requisite for the development of a modern
state
Mantzios
- Individual Difference (ID) TIMELINE
o 400BC – Plato
The Republic of Plato
“no two persons are born exactly alike…one being suited for one
occupation and another for another”
o Middle ages
o Mid-1800s
Fechner & Weber
rise of experimental psychology
o method of Just Notable Differences
how much two stimuli may vary to be
distinguished as different
o method of Constant Stimuli
each variable compared several times
the point at which 50% of the judgements are
correct is considered the threshold
development of measurement of ID (psychophysical)
o since been adapted for measurement of IDs
Broca
Developed firsts ID tests
o Brain size as an indicator of intelligence
o Used to perpetuate sexism
Men: survival, protector, compete
Women: passive, restricted, sedentary
Critiques (by Stephen Jay Gould)
o Age better determiner of brain weight – NOT gender
o Women were older than men
Difference reduced from 181 to 113g
o Sample: 13 people (7 males, 6 females)
o Wundt: first experimenter psychology lab (1879)
Visual and auditory sensation
Psychophysics (Anastasia, 1958)
Discover general laws that apply to all humans
Ignored IDs (Tyler, 1995)
IDs frowned upon by early experimenters
IDs meant less accurate generalisations – se were ignored
o Capitalism and Democracy
Paved the way to study IDs
Previously unheard of: specialization of human talent
Industrial needs created industrial class structure
RATIONALIZED by IDs (Marks, 1976)
IDs serve as pre-requisite for the development of a modern
state
