Philosophical Theories: Nativism and Functionalism

Nativism

• Plato believed that all knowledge is innate and that learning is a process of recollecting this knowledge.
• René Descartes argued that the ability to think and reason is innate, and that certain ideas (like the concept of God) are implanted at birth.
• Immanuel Kant believed that while experience is important, there are innate categories in the human mind that shape how we perceive the world (e.g., space, time, causality).
• Noam Chomsky proposed the theory of Universal Grammar, suggesting that humans are born with an innate ability to learn language, regardless of specific language exposure.
• Jerry Fodor supported the idea of modularity of mind, suggesting that the brain has specific innate modules for different cognitive processes (e.g., language, perception, decision-making).

Functionalism

• Goal: To understand how mental processes help organisms adapt to their environment.
• Influenced by: Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
• Methods: Introspection, observation, comparative psychology.
• Contributions: Laid the foundation for applied psychology (education, child development, mental health).

Behaviorism

• Development: Emerged as a reaction to both structuralism and functionalism, rejecting introspection and focusing on observable behaviors.
• Key figures: John B. Watson (founder), B.F. Skinner (expanded the school's ideas).
• Goal: To make psychology an objective science by focusing on observable behaviors, which can be measured and studied scientifically.
• Methods: Controlled experiments and observation.
• Emphasis: Conditioning in learning and behavior, particularly classical conditioning (Pavlov) and operant conditioning (Skinner).

Cognitive Psychology

• Emphasis: On the internal mental processes involved in knowing, understanding, and remembering.
• Methods: Reaction time experiments, memory tasks, problem-solving tasks.
• Use of Technology: Advances in computer modeling and neuroimaging techniques (MRI, PET scans).

The Information Processing Model

• Analogy: Compares the human mind to a computer, with stages of input, storage, processing, and output.
• Components:
  • Input: Information received through sensory organs.
  • Storage: Information stored in memory systems.
  • Processing: Information organized, transformed, and manipulated.
  • Output: Responses or actions produced.

Cognitive Architecture

• Definition: Theoretical frameworks describing the interaction and function of different cognitive processes.

Evolutionary Psychology

• Influence of Evolution: Explains psychological traits through their adaptive value in human evolution.
• Social Hierarchies: Understanding social dynamics and hierarchies is crucial for living in groups.
• Mate Selection: Preferences in mate selection are influenced by evolutionary pressures (e.g., physical health, social status).
• Parental Investment Theory: Explains differing parental investment between sexes due to reproductive strategies.
• Cognitive Biases: Certain cognitive biases are viewed as adaptations for quick decision-making in uncertain environments (e.g., availability heuristic).
• Cultural Evolution: Human behavior is shaped by both biological and cultural evolution, leading to interactions between genetic predispositions and cultural practices.

Falsifiability

• Definition: The ability of a theory to be tested and potentially proven false by empirical evidence.
• Key Features:
  • Testability: A theory must be testable through observations or experiments.
  • Predictive Power: Falsifiable theories make specific predictions about future observations.
  • Clear Criteria for Disproof: A hypothesis should provide clear criteria for what would count as evidence against it.
• Importance:
  • Distinguishing science from non-science.
  • Promoting scientific progress.
  • Encouraging critical thinking.
  • Facilitating open inquiry.
  • Clarifying theoretical limits.