Gestalt and Developmental Psychology

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Questions and Answers

How did social psychologists respond to the dominance of behaviorism in the field of psychology?

They established their own journals and societies to explore concepts like beliefs, stereotypes, and intentions, distinct from behaviorism. (correct)
They directly challenged the core tenets of behaviorism through large-scale debates and public criticisms.
They adopted behavioristic methods while focusing on mentalistic concepts to gain credibility within the established framework.
They attempted to integrate behavioral principles into the study of social phenomena, seeking a compromise between the two perspectives.

Which of the following research areas aligns most closely with the interests of the social psychologists described?

Examining the impact of reinforcement schedules on observable behaviors in controlled laboratory settings.
Studying how cultural norms and social contexts influence individual attitudes and group dynamics. (correct)
Investigating the neural pathways involved in conditioned responses to environmental stimuli.
Analyzing the genetic basis of personality traits through twin studies and adoption research.

What does the example of viewing two photos in different sequences illustrate about social perception?

Visual cues are less influential than verbal descriptions in shaping one's perception of an individual.
The order in which information is presented can significantly influence the overall impression formed. (correct)
First impressions are typically accurate and resistant to change, regardless of subsequent information.
People tend to ignore contradictory information and maintain a consistent view of others.

What was the general attitude of behaviorists toward studying concepts such as beliefs and intentions?

Behaviorists largely dismissed these concepts as unscientific and outside the scope of legitimate psychological inquiry. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the quote by George Miller imply about the state of psychology during the dominance of behaviorism?

Behaviorism held significant influence and control over resources within the field of psychology. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In Bartlett's study using the story "War of the Ghosts", what did he find regarding participants' recall over time?

Participants increasingly recalled what they expected to read, incorporating their own cultural understanding, rather than the original details. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How did Piaget's experiments with clay demonstrate the differences in thinking between young children and adults?

They indicated that children have not yet developed the understanding that quantity is conserved despite changes in appearance. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of developmental psychology, as established by psychologists like Piaget and Vygotsky?

Studying the changes in psychological phenomena that occur throughout an individual's lifespan. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How did Kurt Lewin's approach to psychology differ from strict behaviorism?

Lewin emphasized the importance of the individual's subjective interpretation of the environment, not just objective stimuli, in determining behavior. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In Lewin's studies on leadership styles with 10-year-old boys, what significant conclusion did he draw about the transition between autocracy and democracy?

The transition from autocracy to democracy took longer because democratic behavior had to be learned, while autocracy was simply imposed. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the central focus of social psychology, which emerged from the work of researchers like Kurt Lewin?

The analysis of the causes and consequences of social interactions and relationships. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In Solomon Asch's experiment involving a list of adjectives describing a person, what did the 'primacy effect' demonstrate?

The first information received creates a schema that influences how subsequent information is interpreted. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes how Gestalt psychology influenced social psychologists like Solomon Asch?

It led to an emphasis on the individual’s subjective experience and how they perceive the world. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was a key aspect of Piaget's research methodology when studying children's cognitive development?

Observing and interpreting the mistakes children made in their reasoning. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How did the work of European psychologists in the early 20th century challenge the prevailing behaviorist approach in the United States?

By emphasizing the study of mental processes such as perception, memory, and judgment. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes Kurt Lewin's central idea about behavior?

Behavior is a result of a person's interpretation of their environment. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How did Solomon Asch’s research methods differ from those typically used by behaviorists?

Asch explored how people's perceptions and interpretations influenced their judgments of others. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What key concept from Gestalt psychology influenced Asch’s research on impression formation?

The notion that the whole is different from the sum of its parts, particularly in social perception. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In Bartlett's view, how does memory function in everyday life?

Memory functions by employing our expectations to reconstruct past experiences. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the relationship between behaviorism and the work of social psychologists like Lewin and Asch?

Social psychologists largely disregarded behaviourism. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How did Gestalt psychology, as pioneered by Max Wertheimer, challenge the core tenets of behaviorism prevalent in the early 20th century?

By suggesting that the mind actively interprets sensory information based on pre-existing theories, rather than passively responding to stimuli. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In Wertheimer's experiment involving flashing lights, what key observation led him to formulate the principles of Gestalt psychology?

Participants often perceived a single light moving back and forth when the time interval between flashes was reduced. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of 'illusory motion,' as demonstrated by Wertheimer's flashing lights experiment, relate to the broader principles of Gestalt psychology?

It exemplifies how the mind actively organizes and interprets sensory input to create coherent experiences. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the 'news ticker' example in the context of Gestalt psychology and Wertheimer's work?

It provides a real-world illustration of how the mind perceives motion where there is only a rapid sequence of lights. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does the Gestalt psychology concept of 'the whole being more than the sum of its parts' challenge a purely behaviorist perspective on perception?

It suggests that our perception is greater than what behaviorism suggests because our mind actively organizes and interprets sensory information to create a unified and coherent experience. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between the focus of German psychologists like Wertheimer and British psychologist Sir Frederic Bartlett in their challenge to behaviorism?

Wertheimer investigated why people perceive things differently from reality, while Bartlett examined why people remember things differently from reality. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Gestalt psychology shares some philosophical overlap with philosophical idealism. Which statement best describes that connection?

Both philosophical idealism and Gestalt psychology emphasize that the mind actively shapes and interprets our experiences of the world. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In what way did the work of Gestalt psychologists undermine the behaviourist claim that psychology should only study observable behaviour?

By proving that unobservable cognitive processes played a key role in perception and understanding. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Gestalt Psychology

An approach emphasizing how the mind creates perceptual experiences by seeing the whole rather than just the parts.

Max Wertheimer

German psychologist (1880–1943) known for his work on perception and Gestalt psychology.

Illusory Motion

The mind uses prior experiences and expectations to interpret sensory information.

The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

The idea that the whole is different from the sum of its individual parts; a core tenet of Gestalt psychology.