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Questions and Answers
What is the core belief of Gestalt psychology?
What is the core belief of Gestalt psychology?
According to the psychoanalytic approach, who built theories based on the study of the unconscious mind?
According to the psychoanalytic approach, who built theories based on the study of the unconscious mind?
Which approach believes that humans have free will and strive to reach their greatest potential?
Which approach believes that humans have free will and strive to reach their greatest potential?
What does the evolutionary psychologist study according to the text?
What does the evolutionary psychologist study according to the text?
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Which perspective in psychology looks at biological, psychological, and social factors to understand behavior?
Which perspective in psychology looks at biological, psychological, and social factors to understand behavior?
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What does a sociocultural psychologist study according to the text?
What does a sociocultural psychologist study according to the text?
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Who established the first psychology lab in Germany in 1879?
Who established the first psychology lab in Germany in 1879?
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Which early approach in psychology believed that the mind should be broken into elements to understand its functions?
Which early approach in psychology believed that the mind should be broken into elements to understand its functions?
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Who is known for studying observable behaviors and leading the Little Albert experiment?
Who is known for studying observable behaviors and leading the Little Albert experiment?
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Which theoretical approach was created to understand how the conscious mind is related to behavior?
Which theoretical approach was created to understand how the conscious mind is related to behavior?
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What method did the Structuralists use to try to understand thoughts and emotions?
What method did the Structuralists use to try to understand thoughts and emotions?
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Which approach shifted psychology from studying the unconscious mind to focusing on observable events?
Which approach shifted psychology from studying the unconscious mind to focusing on observable events?
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Study Notes
Early Approaches to Psychology
- Structuralism was the first approach to psychology, established by Wilhelm Wundt in 1879, which combined physiology and philosophy to understand behavior.
- Structuralists believed that breaking down the mind into elements was necessary to understand brain functions, using introspection (looking inward) to understand thoughts and emotions.
- However, structuralism was unreliable due to varied results from person to person.
Functionalism
- Functionalism emerged to understand how the conscious mind affects behavior, with functionalists such as John Dewey wanting to know how the mind influences actions.
- This approach marked a shift from studying the unconscious and conscious mind to a more science-based study of observable events.
Behaviorism
- Early Behaviorism, led by John Watson, focused on the study of observable events and behaviors, rather than the conscious mind.
- Watson's experiment with an 11-month-old boy and a white rat demonstrated classical conditioning, where the boy learned to associate the rat with fear.
Gestalt Psychology
- Gestalt Psychology proposes that the whole is different from the sum of its parts, focusing on the mind and behavior as a whole rather than individual components.
- Examples of Gestalt principles will be discussed in further detail in Unit 3.
Psychological Approaches
- Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic approach focuses on the study of the unconscious mind, with Sigmund Freud as a key figure, believing that behavior is determined by past experiences.
- Humanistic approach emphasizes human free will and growth, striving for individuals to reach their greatest potential.
- Evolutionary approach uses evolutionary biology to explain human behavior, studying how natural selection promotes the survival of genes.
- Biological perspective states that behavior is based on physical processes, such as brain functions and hormones.
- Cognitive approach proposes that thought processes impact behavior, with cognitive psychologists studying how emotions affect thinking.
- Biopsychosocial perspective considers biological, psychological, and social factors to understand behavior.
- Sociocultural approach studies how thinking and behavior vary across cultures and situations.
Subfields of Psychology
- Biological psychology focuses on physical processes shaping behavior, such as the role of hormones in emotional responses.
- Clinical psychology assesses and treats mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the early theoretical approaches and key figures in the historical development of psychology, including Structuralism and its significance in psychology. Explore the foundational concepts that laid the groundwork for modern psychology.
