History and systems test 2

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Fechner(originated psychology)----->Wundt (founded) Wundt ----> Titchener (distorted Wundts work) Ebbinghaus (proved Wundt wrong)

7. Describe Brentano's act psychology.

Focused on mental activities (ex: seeing) rather than on mental contents (ex: that which is seen). A distinction between an experience as a structure or content, and experience as an activity.

5. Define apperception and briefly describe the process of it.

Process by which mental elements are organized. Our mind acts on elements in a creative way to make into a whole. Elements are organized into a whole which creates new properties from the building up or combining of the elements (CREATIVE SYNTHESIS)

15. Briefly describe the Functionalist Protest.

-Changed focus from the structure of consciousness to its FUNCTIONS. -Protested against both Wundt and Tichners psychology because they were seen as too restrictive. -Darwin focused on mental functions. The potential application of psychology to everyday problems and how people adapt to different environments (applied psychology).

6. What was the significance of Ebbinghaus' work?

-Ebbinghaus proved Wundt wrong about saying that it isn't impossible to conduct experiments on the higher mental processes. (Wundt said it could only be socially studied) -First to study learning and memory experimentally. -Changed the way learning could be studied. -Experimental psychology

2. What was the fundamental idea underlying Darwin's theory of evolution

-Evolution- the idea that living things change with time. He believed God set life on earth but did not interfere thereafter. Change occurs with natural laws. The variability in nature was due to NATURAL SELECTION. Survival of those that are adapt transmit to their offspring the skills/advantages that enabled them to thrive. -Also recognized were changes brought on by experiences that can be passed on to future generations.

11. Explain the concept of the stimulus error according to Titchener

-Individual reports apperception not their perception of the elements of the object. -Confusing the mental process under study with the stimulus/object being observed.

Imageless Thought

-Kulpes idea that meaning in thought can occur WITHOUT any sensory or imagination component. -This challenged Wundt who stated that all experiences are composed of sensations and images.

3. Explain the subject matter of psychology according to Wundt

-THE SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE -Relied on experimental methods. -Said consciousness could be studied by method of: ANALYSIS AND REDUCTION. -The study of the IMMEDIATE (experience) should be analyzed rather than the mediate (the object). -Emphasized on VOLUNTARISM(the process of actively organizing/synthesizing elements). -Simple mental functions must be studied: Experimentally/lab. -High mental functions must be studied: Socially

13. Titchener's behavior toward women was contradictory. Explain why this statement is valid. Use examples.

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3. What are the four ways Darwin's work has influenced contemporary psychology?

1. A focus on ANIMAL PSYCHOLOGY forming the basis of comparative psychology. 2. Emphasis on FUNCTIONS rather than structure/consciousness. 3. The ACCEPTANCE of methodology and data. 4. A focus on the DESCRIPTION and MEASUREMENTS of INDIVIDUAL differences.

4. Briefly describe Wundt's three goals for psychology.

1. ANALYZE conscious processes into their basic elements 2. DISCOVER how these elements are ORGANIZED. 3. DETERMINE the LAWS of connection governing the organization of the elements.

name and describe the characteristics of mental elements by Titchener.

1. Quality- Characteristics elements such as "cold" or "red". 2. Intensity- A sensations strength, loudness, or brightness. 3. Duration- The course of a sensation over time. 4. Clearness- The role of attention in conscious experience.

12. Name and define the three basic states (types) of consciousness identified by Titchener

1. Sensations- PERCEPTION EXPERIENCES of sound, sight, smell, and other experiences. 2. Images- The elements of ideas that's are found in the process that reflects experiences that are not actually present at the time, such as a memory of a PAST EXPERIENCES. 3. Active States (Affections)- EMOTION EXPERIENCES Elements that are found in expierences such as love, hate, and sadness.

10. What was the subject matter of psychology according to Titchener?

CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE because experience is dependent on the person who is actually experiencing it.

Phenomenology

Carl Stumpf. Knowledge based on unbiased immediate experience as it occurs, not analyzed or reduced to elements.

14. Compare and contrast the contributions of Structuralism with the criticisms of it.

Criticisms: -The subject matter was limited allowing for no growth. -Outdated. -Introspection never developed its own "language" -The whole of an experience cannot be recaptured by association of individual sensations/states. Contributions: -Method of introspection still used today. -Its service as a target of criticism. Provided a strong starting point in which new movements could develop/advance from.

7. What are the similarities and differences between Brentano's act psychology and Wundt's psychology?

Differences- -Brent opposed Wunts idea that psychology should only study the content of conscious experience. -Opposed wundt psy, that mental processes involve contents/elements. -Wundt believed that mental processes involve elements. -Differening methods of study. Brents ways of study: 1. memory 2. imagination Wundt: 1.experimental 2.social -Brent believed the primary method should be observation, not experimentation (empirical approach). Similarities- -Both wanted to make psychology a science

Tridimensional Theory

Explanation for feelings based on three dimensions: -Pleasure/displeasure -Excitement/Depression -Tension/relaxation

briefly explain how he saw this principle of natural selection working within a species.

In the Galapagos Islands he observed many animals of the same species had evolved in different ways in response to their environmental conditions. (EX: The finch with a thick beak to slender beak)

8. Discuss the differences between Wundt and Kulpe.

Kulpe- Detailed, Qualitative, Subjective. -Thought processes can be experimentally studied. -Experimenter was played an active role -Direct questions and requirement of more info. -Belief in non-sensory aspects of consciousness(imageless thought) Wundt- Quantitative, Objective

3. how did he differentiate between mediate and immediate experience?

Mediate- Knowledge of the object. Immediate- The experience of the object.

Systematic experimental introspection

Oswald Kulpe -Used reports of subjects cognitive processes after they had completed an experimental task. -Had subjects perform a task involving thinking/judging and then had them examine how they thought/judged.

2. What was the main purpose in Wundt's writing Cultural Psychology?

Set to divide psychology into two major parts: -The experimental (simple functions) -The social (higher processes)

Nonsense Syllables

Syllables presented in a meaningless series to study memory processes. This marked the first significant advance in the field.

Voluntarism

The idea that the mind can organize contents into higher-level thought processes. Self-organizing.

9. Explain why it is not correct to call Wundt's psychology Structuralism?

Titchners approach which he called structuralism, claimed to represent psychology set by Wundt, but in reality the two systems were radically different. Wundt focused on apperception. Titchner focused on association.

How stimulus error relates to Wundt's distinction between mediate and immediate experience

mediate- knowledge of an object immediate- observation/experience of an object Reporting on a mediate experience (what is known about an object) rather than the immediate experience (what is observed/experienced about an object). Emphasis on the whole rather than parts.

Introspection

method of observation used to examine the conscious experience, examining one's own mind to report on personal feelings and thoughts.