Diana Keo
AP Psychology
26 August 2017
Unit One Questions & Answers:
What is Psychology?
Page1-Page 8
Q1. How do we elaborate on behavior and mental processes regarding the definition of psychology?
We elaborate on behavior and mental processes regarding the definition of psychology by studying people, their behaviors, their thoughts and feelings, and trying to predict their next move.
Q2. Explain John Locke’s argument that the mind at birth is a blank slate, and how did that contradict some of the earlier philosophers such as Plato and Rene Descartes.
John Locke’s argument is that everybody is born with a tabula rasa, meaning a ‘blank slate’ on which experiences wires. Whereas, for Plato and Descartes, they believe that knowledge is born within us or innate.
Q3. Describe Wilhelm Wundt’s first experiment and why is it considered the first experiment in the field of psychology.
Wilhelm Wundt’s first experiment involved using a machine that measured the time lag between a person hearing a ball hit a platform, and a person pressing a telegraph key. They also decided to test to press a key when they were consciously aware of perceiving a sound. Overall, he conducted a series of studies dealing with the elements of consciousness, becoming the first experiment in the field of psychology because of the reliance, psychologists had on his invention.
Q4. Explain how the two early schools of psychology, structuralism and functionalism differed from each other, and which
12). I agree with the author. Although we have natural motor abilities we don’t learn without first being showed or taught what to do. For instance, as children we don 't know how to read when we are born, we are taught how to. Locke expands his thought when he says "For if the ideas are not innate, then there was a time when the mind didn’t contain those principles; in which case, the principles are not innate but have some other source.... " (Locke, Pg.13). To get a thought or learn something for the first time something needs to provoke the idea within us.
Psychology is defined by Merriam-Webster, as the science of mind and behavior. It is a study of how an individual's psyche can be created, developed, altered or destroyed. Carol Gilligan, a Harvard Graduate School professor, for many years has analyzed the psychological theory and development, specifically in a book entitled In A Different Voice.
Psychology is a term derived from two Greek words that translate to life explanation, which makes it an important element of daily life. The field of psychology can be described as a discipline that focuses on the study of mind and behavior. This discipline is characterized by several concepts and approaches that are used by psychologists in understanding human behavior. Since psychology is a broad field, psychologists not only use these concepts and approaches but also conduct scientific research that enables them to understand human behavior. Some of the most common psychological concepts that are used to modify or change an individual’s behavior include operant conditioning, positive and negative punishment,
_____ Psychology and "common sense" lead to the same conclusions about behavior and mental processes.
At the end of the nineteenth century, Titchener brought Wundt’s basic ideas of psychology to America. He was responsible for translating many of Wundt’s works into English as they were all in German. Many did not now that Titchener only translated what he agreed with and choose not to translate anything he disagreed with. Titchener called Wundt's ideas structuralism, and tried to study the structure of mental life or consciousness. His structural psychology had three aims:
Your friend Dave says: “How can you stand to study the history of psychology? Every single one of those theories is basically the same: the brain controls our behavior.” Given the history of psychology, evaluate Dave's claim using the following terms in their appropriate context:
Locke’s states that “All knowledge comes from the senses through experience” interpreted when Locke’s “blank slate” idea to when we are kids we know nothing. Our brains have to make connections to things and these connections are gained through experience and continues
Psychology is a discipline that involves monitoring mental processes and behaviour scientifically. Psychologists try to delve into the basic functions of a person and animals cerebral activity. This usually involves studying relationships, emotions, personality and many more areas of a person or animals day to day life. Psychology tends to steer towards finding reasons for a person or animals actions in an attempt to resolve them.
Locke (1632-1704) further discounted the work of Descartes, as well as that of Plato. He maintained that all ideas originate in ones experiences. A newborn is devoid of ideas until experience begins to form these ideas.
Psychology is an applied as well as an academic field that studies both the human mind and behavior. The research in psychology attempts to explain and understand behavior, emotion and thought. The subject of psychology was created when Wilhelm Wundt opened up the very first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany. Wilhelm Wundt believed that individuals who are appropriately trained would most likely be able to recognize the mental processes that are accompanied with feelings, thoughts and sensations (Wagner , 2009).
In this laboratory, Wundt and his followers undertook the study of psychology, which to them consisted of the study of experience. (Read more about it at) http://www.wiley.com/college/psyc/huffman249327/ch_01.pdf
First of all, Introspection is simply the examination of one’s own mental state. Therefore, he believed that only the person experiencing this consciousness can observe it which means that the person can only report such experience. As a result, Wundt came up with some rules and conditions that he thought will bring forth more accuracy. Observers must be able to determine when the process begins, they must give their undivided attention, the observation must be completed several times and the experimental conditions must vary and be manipulated. Just like Fechner, Wundt wished to measure Quantitative introspection. He wanted to do so because he wanted objective measurements such as reaction times and not inner experiences. This way, he can easily measure consciousness on a physical
Locke feels that we do not have any innate ideas. Then the question arises of
Locke instead is an empiricist, and therefore he directly critiques Descartes epistemic system and tries to establish his own foundation of knowledge. Locke believes that our knowledge of the world comes from what our senses tell us. Locke’s theory state that we are all born with a blank slate, tabula rasa, before we
When considering knowledge, Locke is interested in the ability for us to know something, the capacity of gathering and using information and understanding the limits of what we know. He believes this also leads him to realise what we perhaps, cannot know. [1] He wants to find out about the origin of our ideas. His main stand-point is that we don’t have innate ideas and he aims to get rid of the sceptical doubt about what we know. The innate ideas which Locke sets out to argue against are those which “the soul receives in its very first being, and brings into the world with it”. [2] “Let us suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters”. [3] This quote depicts the idea of the “Tabula Rasa”, that at birth are minds