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15 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Scientific Method
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Traditional view: Science seeks to understand “natural laws”
Over time we gather more and more evidence to support hypotheses, then general laws Induction-basing general statements on accumulated knowledge; demarcates science from non-science |
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Karl Popper’s Observation
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There is an asymmetry in science between verification and falsification
The logic: if a single black swan can be observed, not all swans are white A scientific law must be conclusively falsifiable, but not conclusively verifiable The bottom line: seeking refutation helps further develop our theories—it does not hurt them; We should not seek only to prove our theories, but to disprove them as well |
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Thomas Kuhn
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Scientists in a field follow a paradigm.
Paradigm=widely accepted viewpoint, way of doing things |
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How does this relate to Psychology?
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Psychology could be considered preparadigmatic - many competing theories
OR, maybe psychology will always have several competing theories and will never experience a true “revolution” stage |
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Persistent Questions in Psychology
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Human nature
Mind/Body Interaction Rationalism vs. Empiricism Comparative studies Realism vs. constructivism |
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The Mind Body Problem
Descartes |
Started with Descartes
Cartesian Myth Descartes in Context (early 1600s) Lived during the Renaissance, from a wealthy family French mathematician Early rationalist—likely because of his exposure to mathematics-deductive reasoning; follow rules of logic to attain the “truth” Devout Catholic, though he at times doubted God’s existence (he also doubted his own existence) “I think, therefore I am” proved his existence Thinking comes from Mind (soul), which is separate from the body (material, mechanical, automatic)—but they can interact in the pineal gland (interactionism). |
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Descartes Continued
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Humans, but not animals, have passions
Wonder, love, hate, desire, joy, and sadness These can be combined Animals lack these because they do not have language or self-awareness (your thoughts on this?) Animal rights proponents would not like Descartes—no anesthesia—cries are just hydraulic hisses! |
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Back to the Mind Body Problem
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Types of Dualism
Interactionism-Descartes Psychophysical Parallelism (Leibniz—German mathematician)—functions of mind and body are the same, but they do not interact; parallel clocks Occasionalism-a deity can intervene |
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Monism
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Baruch Spinoza
Spinoza in Context (born 30 years after Descartes) Portuguese Jew living in exile in Holland—expelled from rabbinical school for defending heretics He studied Descartes Rationalist Physical and mental are two modes of the same substance; the only real substance is God Baruch Spinoza Spinoza in Context (born 30 years after Descartes) Portuguese Jew living in exile in Holland—expelled from rabbinical school for defending heretics He studied Descartes Rationalist Physical and mental are two modes of the same substance; the only real substance is God Baruch Spinoza Spinoza in Context (born 30 years after Descartes) Portuguese Jew living in exile in Holland—expelled from rabbinical school for defending heretics He studied Descartes Rationalist Physical and mental are two modes of the same substance; the only real substance is God Materialist Monism All there that exists is body Watson Skinner—thought is just private behavior Idealistic Monism All that exists is mind Berkeley—matter does not exist without mind Hume (I sense, therefore I am) |
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Metaphysics
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concerned with explaining the nature of the world, e.g., what is the nature of reality, is there a God?
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Ontology
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the study of being or existence
Branch of metaphysics The question: “What actually exists?” Originated in early Greece (though some debate that this may have originated in early India or China) Examples of ontological approaches Realism-facts are waiting in nature to be discovered Constructivism-denies that any objective truth can be obtained; we construct our reality; truth is relative; based on sensory experience |
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Epistemology
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study of the nature of knowledge; type of metaphysics
How is knowledge acquired? Examples of theories of knowledge acquisition Rationalism-knowledge is acquired by a priori reasoning; deductive Empiricism-emphasizes experience; inductive; knowledge builds as we gain more experience |
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Rationalism
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knowledge is acquired by a priori reasoning; deductive
Theory of knowledge acquisition— how do we know what we know We know “truth” because of deductive reasoning, intuition, mental analysis Sensory experience is not ignored, but cannot explain thought and behavior by itself. |
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Empiricism
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emphasizes experience; inductive; knowledge builds as we gain more experience
Most scientists use both rationalism and empiricism in their quest for knowledge |
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Important Rationalists
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Spinoza
Malebranche Leibniz Reid Kant |
