Chapter 1

Psychology as a Science
 Psychology Origins

• Aristotle
– Psyche: “the mind” - source
of all human behavior

– Role of the brain

 Psychology Origins

René Descartes & Dualism

(1600s)
• A nonmaterial mind governs
advanced cognition

• Body and brain direct all basic

behaviors (e.g., movement)
 Psychology Origins

• Immanuel Kant (1700s)

• “The Critique of Pure Reason”

• Human experience is drawn from

the structure of the mind
– Human commonalities in
thinking and reasoning
 Psychology Origins

• John Stuart Mill

(1800s)
– Utilitarianism
 Psychology Origins
“On the Origin of Species”
• Abilities and behavior viewed
within an evolutionary framework

• Natural selection of physical traits

and mental traits
 Nature vs. Nurture

• Genetics vs. Experience/Learning

 Structuralism
• “Science of the Mind” – goal to
legitimize the study of psychology

• Wilhelm Wundt

– First experimental psychology lab

– Introspection
 Structuralism
• Used psychophysics experiments to measure
human sensations

• Developed laws of perception

that still apply today
Absolute Threshold
 Difference Threshold

• Mathematically expressed as a just noticeable

difference
 Structuralism

• Edward Titchener at Cornell

University

• Determine the basic “elements”

of the mind

Red

Shiny Juicy

Apple

Round Tart
 Functionalism

• William James
– 1890: Principles of
Psychology

• Darwinian concepts of evolution & adaptation

• Study human psychology outside the laboratory

 Functionalism

• Mary Whiton Calkins

• Experimental study of
dreams and memory
 Limitations of Early Psychologists

• Introspection as method of
measurement

• Complexity of human
thought not addressed

• Limited level of analysis

Levels of Analysis

• Modern psychologists can

analyze thoughts and
behavior at four levels
– Biological
– Individual
– Social
– Cultural

• Example: Music
 Nature vs. Nurture?

• Modern Psychology
– Recognizes the interaction of both
– Example: Human speech