1-3: History of Psychology
Summary
TLDRIn this lecture on the history of psychology, the speaker explores early psychological thought, starting with philosophers like Aristotle and Plato. It covers the influence of early pioneers like Wilhelm Wundt, who founded structuralism, and William James, who developed functionalism. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis and its focus on unconscious motives is also discussed. The lecture then shifts to behaviorism, championed by Watson and Skinner, and concludes with Gestalt psychology, emphasizing that perception is more than just the sum of its parts. The talk highlights the evolution of psychology from philosophy to science.
Takeaways
- 📚 Psychology is a relatively new field, about 130-140 years old, but ideas about human behavior date back to ancient philosophers like Aristotle, Plato, and Descartes.
- 🧠 Socrates introduced the concept of introspection, which is the careful examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings.
- 🔗 Aristotle is known for the principle of associationism, which suggests that mental activities are based on past experiences.
- ⚔️ During the Middle Ages, many psychological issues were believed to be caused by demons, leading to practices like exorcisms and dangerous tests to determine possession.
- 🏛️ Wilhelm Wundt, the father of modern psychology, established the first psychological laboratory and developed the theory of structuralism, focusing on the elements of consciousness.
- 🔬 Wundt introduced objective introspection, where students analyzed their own thoughts and sensations in a structured way, often using simple objects like rocks.
- 🧩 William James developed functionalism, emphasizing the practical function of consciousness in daily life, and was influenced by Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
- 🧔 Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis theory focused on unconscious motives and the impact of early childhood experiences on personality development.
- 🐶 John Watson and B.F. Skinner contributed to behaviorism, which argued that psychology should focus on observable behavior, emphasizing conditioning and reinforcement.
- 🎶 Gestalt psychology emphasized that psychological phenomena like perception can only be understood as whole events, not by breaking them down into smaller parts, following the idea that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.'
Q & A
What are the main learning targets mentioned in the script?
-The main learning targets are understanding early views of human behavior (from BCE times) and learning about the early pioneers of psychology, starting in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Who are some of the early thinkers mentioned in the script and their contributions to psychology?
-Early thinkers include Aristotle, who wrote about the relationship between the soul and the body, and Plato, who believed the soul could exist separately from the body. Descartes believed the pineal gland was the seat of the soul. Socrates developed introspection, and Aristotle is also credited with associationism, the idea that mental activity comes from past experiences.
What was the common view of psychological problems during the Middle Ages?
-During the Middle Ages, Europeans commonly believed psychological problems were caused by demons and possession. Exorcisms were performed, and tests, such as tying someone to rocks and throwing them into a lake, were used to determine if a person was possessed.
Who is considered the father of modern psychology, and what was his theory?
-Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of modern psychology. He established the first psychological laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, and developed the theory of structuralism, which focuses on the structure of consciousness, made up of thoughts, experiences, and emotions.
What is objective introspection, and who developed this concept?
-Objective introspection is the process of objectively examining and measuring one's own thoughts and mental activities. This concept was developed by Wilhelm Wundt, who used it as a method to study the elements of consciousness.
What is functionalism, and who is associated with this theory?
-Functionalism is a theory developed by William James. Unlike structuralism, it focuses on how the mind helps people adapt to their environment and function in everyday life, influenced by Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
What is Freud's theory of psychoanalysis, and what does it emphasize?
-Freud's theory of psychoanalysis emphasizes unconscious motives that conflict with societal rules and norms, causing psychological problems. He believed that repressed urges from early childhood could surface and lead to nervous disorders.
How did Watson and Skinner contribute to behaviorism?
-John Watson introduced behaviorism, focusing on observable behavior rather than consciousness. B.F. Skinner expanded on this with the concept of reinforcement, which suggests that behavior is shaped by rewards or punishments.
What is Gestalt psychology, and how does it differ from other theories?
-Gestalt psychology, an alternative to behaviorism and structuralism, argues that psychological events such as perception cannot be understood by breaking them down into smaller elements. It emphasizes that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,' meaning perception is understood as a complete experience.
How does the script illustrate Gestalt principles using visual examples?
-The script provides examples like two identical circles that appear different in size depending on their surroundings, and a symbol that looks like the letter 'B' in one context but appears as the number '13' in another. This demonstrates how perception can change based on the overall pattern or context.
Outlines
📜 Introduction to Psychology and History
The speaker welcomes the audience and introduces the topic: the history of psychology. They mention that psychology is relatively new, only around 130-140 years old. Prior to psychology, philosophers, medical doctors, and physiologists contributed ideas about the mind and behavior, including figures like Aristotle, Plato, Descartes, and Socrates. These thinkers debated topics such as the soul's relationship to the body and introspection.
🔮 Ancient Beliefs and Early Psychological Thought
The speaker discusses ancient views on mental health and behavior, particularly how during the Middle Ages, people believed psychological problems were caused by demonic possession, leading to practices like exorcisms and harsh 'tests' for witches. Moving forward to the late 1800s, pioneers like Wilhelm Wundt began formalizing psychology as a science, starting with structuralism, focusing on the structure of consciousness through methods like objective introspection.
🧠 Structuralism and Functionalism: Foundations of Psychology
Wundt's structuralism, which studied the basic elements of consciousness, was contrasted with William James' functionalism. James believed it was more important to understand how consciousness allows people to function in daily life, drawing from Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Functionalism emphasized adaptation and survival in social environments, examining behavior as a product of evolution and practical needs.
🧍 Freud and Psychoanalysis: The Unconscious Mind
The speaker introduces Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytic theory, which focuses on the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior. Freud proposed that repressed desires and early childhood experiences shape personality and lead to psychological problems. His ideas, including the significance of repression, are foundational to psychoanalysis and remain influential in modern psychology.
🔬 Behaviorism: Psychology as a Science of Observable Behavior
The speaker explains John Watson's behaviorism, which rejected introspection and focused on observable behavior as the key to understanding psychology. Behaviorists, like Watson and Skinner, believed that behavior could be conditioned by external events, and concepts like free will were considered illusions. Skinner introduced reinforcement as a mechanism for learning, linking human behavior to animal training principles.
🎨 Gestalt Psychology: The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts
Gestalt psychology, introduced as an alternative to behaviorism and structuralism, emphasizes that psychological phenomena cannot be broken down into smaller elements. The speaker provides examples showing how perception depends on the whole context rather than individual components, highlighting the idea that perception is greater than the sum of its parts. Gestalt theory illustrates how humans naturally seek patterns and wholes in their sensory experiences.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Structuralism
💡Functionalism
💡Introspection
💡Psychoanalysis
💡Behaviorism
💡Reinforcement
💡Unconscious Mind
💡Associationism
💡Gestalt Psychology
💡Natural Selection
Highlights
The early views of psychology date back to BCE, with philosophers like Aristotle, Plato, and Descartes discussing the mind-body relationship.
Socrates developed introspection, a concept where individuals examine their own thoughts and feelings.
Aristotle is known for 'associationism,' suggesting that mental activity stems from past experiences.
During the Middle Ages, psychological issues were often attributed to demonic possession, leading to practices like exorcism and 'witch' trials.
Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of modern psychology, establishing the first psychology laboratory and developing the theory of structuralism.
Wundt's concept of 'objective introspection' involved examining one’s own thoughts and mental activities, and was an early attempt to make psychology scientific.
William James introduced functionalism, focusing on how consciousness helps individuals adapt to their environment.
James was influenced by Darwin’s theory of natural selection, emphasizing how behaviors that help survival are passed on to future generations.
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis theory focuses on unconscious motives and early childhood experiences as key to human behavior.
Freud introduced the idea of 'repression,' where unconscious urges are pushed into the mind, leading to psychological disorders.
Behaviorism, led by Watson, shifted psychology’s focus to observable behaviors and argued against the study of consciousness.
Skinner expanded on behaviorism with the concept of reinforcement, suggesting that behavior is shaped by rewards and punishments.
Gestalt psychology emerged as an alternative, arguing that psychological events should be understood as whole perceptions rather than broken down into smaller elements.
Gestalt theory is summarized by the phrase, 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,' emphasizing the importance of context in perception.
Freud, Watson, and Skinner’s contributions continue to heavily influence modern psychology, particularly in understanding behavior and mental health.
Transcripts
okay and welcome back to psychology with
Mr Snider uh you may be wondering
where's Mr Snider I don't see him on the
screen today well sometimes I'll be uh
viewable other times if I have a lot of
notes to look over or such I will not be
because it'll just be distracting to you
so this is one of those days but today
we're going to combine two of my
favorite things history and psychology
to go over the history of
psychology and let's go ahead and and
get
started here are your learning targets
for the day we're going to talk about
some early early views being BC
times uh or BCE the politically correct
way of saying it the Before Common Era
views and beliefs about human behavior
and then we'll talk about the early
pioneers of psychology starting in the
late 1800s early
1900s uh and we'll talk about ways that
they
thought so early
views uh psychology is relatively new
it's only been around for about 130 140
years um but before that I mean we had
philosophers we had medical doctors and
physiologists or people who study the
physical workings of the body uh we had
people like Aristotle who wrote about
the relationship of the soul to the body
uh we had Plato who felt that the soul
could exist separately from the body
uh we had decart a French philosopher
and math mathematician who agreed with
Plato and believed that the pineal
gland um which we'll talk about when we
get to the brain was the seat of the
soul but it's been around for quite a
while people have thought about how the
mind works what makes people behave the
way they do uh
Socrates developed introspection
something that we will build upon which
is carefully examining your own thoughts
and
feelings and Aristotle as mentioned
before is known for
associationism or basically our mental
activity comes from past experiences and
you would say duh of course but that
wasn't common knowledge at that time and
somebody actually had to come up with
that
principle uh during the Middle
Ages um a lot of the Greek knowledge was
lost
um and that's why it's called the Dark
Ages because we didn't have a lot of
original thought going on most Europeans
thought that the psychological
problems uh were caused by demons and
somebody being possessed and they
performed exorcisms to try to uh keep
these people from being possessed they
also used certain tests to determine
whether a person was possessed or not
one of my favorites being um tying a
person
to rocks and throwing ing them in a lake
because witches could float they could
use their magic to float and so if they
float they are a witch but unfortunately
if they don't float okay the good news
is they're not a witch bad news is
they're dead so it didn't make a lot of
sense it was basically a death sentence
to have that test carried out on
you um getting to learning Target 2 some
early pioneers of psychology the father
of modern psychology is vilhelm
v vilhelm v he establishes the first
what is considered the first
psychological laboratory in litig
Germany and he comes up with the
psychological view or theory of
structuralism and structuralism
basically focuses on the
main elements of consciousness
and Consciousness being different than
human thought but this is how it began
in his laboratory students from around
the world were taught to study the
structure of the human mind V believed
that the mind was made up of thoughts
experiences emotions and other basic
elements of this Consciousness in order
to inspect these non-physical elements
students had to learn to think
objectively about their own thoughts
after all they could hardly read someone
else's mind so V called this process
objective introspection or the process
of objectively examining and measuring
one's own thoughts and mental activities
for
example V might take an object like a
rock or something into a Student's Hand
and have the student tell him everything
that he was
feeling as a result of having that rock
in his hand all the sensations that he
felt with the rock so it's heavy it's
rough it's hard
all of those things that he was feeling
these are really the first attempts ever
this may seem stupid to you but these
are really the first attempts ever to
bring um objectivity and measurements to
the concept of psychology and that's why
he's known as the father of
psychology so basically how to remember
structuralism they believe the human
mind functions by combining objective
Sensations and subjective
feelings all right the other one of the
other early views of Psychology was
known as
functionalism and William James comes up
with functionalism so unlike V James was
more interested in studying the
importance of Consciousness to everyday
life than he was in actually analyzing
Consciousness he thought that the study
the scientific study of Consciousness
itself was not yet
possible conscious ideas are constantly
flowing in an everchanging stream and
once you start thinking about what you
were just thinking about what you were
thinking about is no longer what you
were thinking about it's what you are
thinking about and excuse me think you
get the
picture uh J so James focuses on how the
mind allows people to function root word
of functionalism in the real world how
do people work play and adapt to their
surroundings he's really influenced by
Darwin's uh theory of Natural
Selections or natural selection in which
physical traits that help an animal
adapt to its environment and survive are
passed on to its Offspring becoming a
part of the animals
traits animal and people whose Behavior
helped them to survive would pass those
traits on to their offspring perhaps by
teaching or even by some mechanism of
heredity so avoiding the eyes of others
in an elevator can be seen as a way of
protecting one's personal space a kind
of territorial protection that may have
its roots in the Primitive need to
protect one's home and source of food
and water from Intruders or as a way of
avoiding what might seem like a
challenge to another person you you know
you do it nobody just gets into an
elevator and stares at other people
that might be why now we're going to
move on to the granddaddy of them all
Sigman Freud and his
psychoanalysis Theory Freud you've all
heard of him uh Freud is in our common
vernacular such as fraudi and
slip um saying something that you were
thinking but that you didn't mean to say
Freud is one of the most famous of the
early psychologists and his theories
still have
heavy um influence on what we study
today in
Psychology but his pect his perspective
is called
psychoanalysis which emphasizes these
unconscious motives so things that
you're not even thinking about right now
and that aren't even accessible by your
conscious
mind those conflict with society's rules
and social norms in human behavior and
that's what causes problems so Freud was
a physician he's from
Austria and the structuralists are
arguing the functionalists are
specializing Freud basically is a
medical doctor and he sought to help his
patients so he wanted to apply this to
the problems of mental health his
patients suffered from nervous
disorders uh that had no physical cause
therefore he thought the cause must be
in the mind and that's where Freud began
to explore he said that there is the
unconscious mind into which we push all
of our threatening urges and desires and
that's called repression and we'll get
to more of that later that'll be a
common theme in our class he believed
that these repressed urges when they try
to surface into the conscious mind
create the nervous disorders uh that we
have he also stresses the importance of
early childhood experiences believing
that personality is formed in the first
six years years of a person's life if
there are significant problems those
problems had to have begun in the early
years finally we get into the 1900s
Freud worked into the 1900s but so did
Watson and Skinner they basically had
grown tired of the arguing among the
structuralists and the functionalist
viewpoints and psychoanalysis and he
basically turns Behavior into a science
he said we can't know what our conscious
mind is thinking truly and objectively
that's not possible so that all what
psychology needs to focus on is
observable behavior and that's why his
um theory is called
behaviorism Watson wants to bring
psychology to focus on scientific
inquiry and he felt that the only way to
do that was to ignore Consciousness and
focus on observable Behavior what can be
seen and measured for example he holds
that people can be totally conditioned
or made to act certain ways by external
events and that anything you belief in
individual choice or free will is Just
an Illusion everything you do is because
of things that have happened to you in
your past observable things and Skinner
adds to this with the idea of
reinforcement and we'll get to
reinforcement and punishment but you're
made to do things through being
reinforced or rewarded for certain
actions uh think of dog training if you
train a dog and they do something
correct you give them a treat they are
more likely to do that again and people
learn in the same ways that animals do
finally we have Gestalt psychology and
it's an alternative to the behaviorism
and structuralism and even the
functionalism
basically its Founders and you're not
going to need to know all their names
but the founders of G uh gestal
psychology basically say that
psychological events such as
perceiving uh or sensing could not be
broken down into any smaller elements
and still be properly understood and to
give you an analogy you can take apart a
computer but then you no longer have a
computer you have a pile of unconnected
parts and pieces and circuit boards that
don't do anything on their
own a melody in a song is made up of
individual notes that can only be
understood if the notes are in the
correct relationship to one another so
therefore perception can only be
understood as a whole entire of event
and come here in comes the slogan the
whole is greater than the sum of its
parts the gestal psychologists believe
that people naturally seek out patterns
or holes in the sensory information
available to
them for example here you see the
example from your book in drawing
a are the two dark blue circles the same
size and the answer is yes but do they
look the same size
in relation to the other parts of that
drawing on the
left the dark blue circle look smaller
in the one on the right in drawing a it
looks bigger in relation to the other
ones but they are actually the same size
and in drawing B what is the second
symbol in each
row right here it looks like a letter B
because it is surrounded by letters
right here it looks like
13 because it is surrounded by numbers
two images that are identical may appear
to be different if their surroundings
are
different and so just to review a little
bit here we have V and
James and I'll let you read that over
yourself these are also in your book but
they're nice little uh tabbed Files
about each
person and here are Freud Watson and
Skinner so I hope you enjoyed today's
assignment and I will be looking forward
to getting into the modern views of
psychology with you next time thanks and
goodbye
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