PSY 401 1st Edition Lecture 4 Outline of Last Lecture I. Issues in Historical Studies Continueda. Linear Progressiveb. Chaos Theoryc. Big PictureII. Philosophical Issuesa. Importance of Philosophy for Psychology b. Philosophies of Science i. Khunii. Popperc. Epistemology i. Rationalismii. EmpiricismOutline of Current Lecture II. Philosophical Issues Continued A. Nature vs. NurtureB. Reductionism vs. HolismC. Monism vs. PluralismD. Mind vs. Braina. PsychogenyE. Mind-Body Problema. Monistic Theories Current LectureI. Nature vs. NurtureA. Nature: heredity and genetic traits determine behaviora. Example: imprinting-a young animals comes to recognize another animalsas a guardian figure if separated from mother at birth B. Nurture: environment is responsible for behavior a. Example: Behaviorism- Watson believed that he could punish and reinforce any child in order to ‘craft’ them into the adult he wanted them to be (i.e. lawyer, criminal) regardless of heredity II. Reductionism vs. Holism A. Reductionism: molecular study of behavior based on reduced, simple partsThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.a. Analogy- can describe a building in many different ways, such as by its blueprint, the way it looks form outside, the patterns of the bricks, or by looking at individual molecules B. Holism- Behavior and cognition should be studied as a whole a. Studying neurons firing does not give information about the processb. Example: When looking at an illusion, reductionism would look at each individual block of ink, but this does not tell you why you perceive the illusion. Holism allows you to look at the organization of the blocks on a higher level of analysis (look at the blocks of ink in relation to each other) III. Monism vs. Pluralism A. Monism: belief that one theory or approach can explain all psychological phenomenaa. Example: behaviorism when it first beganB. Pluralism: belief in many explanations of behavior and cognition a. Example: what causes drug addiction? Looking at ratsi. Monism: Rat in a skinner box without any other stimulation but access to drug. Found the rat essentially committed suicide by constantly taking the drugs. Showing that ‘drugs cause addiction’ii. Pluralism: Put them in a ‘rat park’ which had other stimulating things to do as well as access to the drugs. Found that the rats did not constantly go back to take the drugs. Concluded the rats in bad ‘social circumstances’ (skinner box) were more likely to develop a dependency. Showing that it is a multitude of reasons they may become addicted (biopsychosocial model) IV. Mind vs. BrainA. Brain: easy to explain because it is physicalB. Mind: not something that you can directly examine (consciousness) a. Psychogeny: study of the origin and development of the mind (where does it come from and how does it change over time) i. Identity theory: a person’s mind is endowed at a single point in time in its ‘full form’1. Consistent with religious perspectives (when you get a soul)2. Two main issues with theorya. No consensus regarding the specific point in time (arbitrary time line) b. Where does the mind come from? (some religions would say God)ii. Emergentism: at a certain point in time the mind emerges, but it emerges from the brain, therefore, since the brain develops over time so does the mind1. Developmental theories (Piaget) 2. Several Issues with theorya. Not sure what degree of complexity is necessary foremergenceb. Arbitrary timec. How do subjective experiences play into the development of the brain and mind?V. Mind-Body Problem-relationship between the mind (cognitive) and the body (physiology) A. Monistic Theories: only have one or the other (the other is an ‘illusion’), the question of interaction disappears a. Materialism: the body is the only true reality, the mind does not actually existi. Issues with approach1. Cannot answer how subjective experience ties in2. Does not make the connection between neurons firing andthe feeling of consciousnessb. Idealism: the ultimate reality consists of ideas or perceptions and is not physicali. Consciousness generates the material world (the things surrounding you are not really there)ii. Example: drugs-the things you may be seeing are not really therec. Epiphenomenalism: the mind is secondary phenomena (byproduct) arising from the body (brain) i. Example: light flashing on a CD player is a byproduct of it playing music (the light does not have influence over the workings of the CD player, is just a phenomena) B. Dualistic Theories: the mind and the body both exist and might interacta.
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