1/20/20161P S Y 401 - L E C T U R E 2P H I L O S O P H I C AL I S S U E SHISTORY & SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGY• Philosophical issuesOVERVIEW23A Priori• “From what comes before”• Before Expereince• What role does this have in psychology?• “From What comes Later”• From Expereince• Is all knowledge from Expereince?EPISTEMOLOGY A Posteriori1/20/201624Nativism• Innate• Ideas inborn• Tabula Rasa• Ideas learnedEPISTEMOLOGY Empircism5How can we experimentally study the idea of nativism & empiricism?6Instinct• McDougall (1908/1960)• Curiosity• Fighting• Maternal behavior• Behaviorism• We learn• Classical (Pavlov)• Operant (Skinner)• Fear Conditioning• (Watson)EPISTEMOLOGY Learning1/20/201637EPISTEMOLOGY - KNOWING ABOUT TRUTH• Authority• Jonestown Massacre• Empiricism• Experience• Science• Rationalism• That which is rational• Formal Logic• Aestheticism• Crick and Watson• DNA model• “too pretty not to be true”• Pragmatism• Kant• That which is prudent• William James• “Cash Value”• Skepticism• Everything must be questioned• Psi PhenomenaIS PSYCHOLOGY A SCIENCE?GENERALIZED CHARACTERISTIC OF SCIENCE• Empirical• Objective• Important• Self Correcting• Progressive• Tentative• Parsimonious• About Theory1/20/20164MODELS OF SCIENCE• Karl Popper (1902 – 1994)• Scientific claims must be falsifiable• Principle of refutability• Risky predictions• All swans are white• Go looking for black swan• Observation always occurs in light of theory• Did not concern himself with history• Science versus Pseudo Science11ASSIDEP SE UD O S C IE N CE. ..WATCHING “GRAND THEFT AUTO” TURNED AN INNOCENT TEENAGER INTO A RUTHLESS KILLERH T T P S : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M/ W A T C H ? V = Q J H Q U M PW C C M1/20/2016513SHOULD WE BE LOOKING FOR EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT?P O P P E R W O U L D A R G U E N O , L O O K F O R C O U N T E R E X A M P L E S . . .B L A C K S W A N S ! P E O P LE W H O P L A Y E D T H E V I D E O B U T D I D N O T AC T I T O U T• Thomas Kuhn (1973)• The Structure of Scientific revolutions• Paradigm• Framework for empirical research• Problem solving activities within this framework is…• Normal science• Scientific revolution • The rejection of a given paradigm for another• View in terms of history of psychology14MODELS OF SCIENCEMODELS OF SCIENCE• Paul Feyerabend• Against Method• Anarchistic view of science• Breaking away from the past (traditional approaches) was NECESSARY for progression1/20/20166WHICH MODEL OF SCIENCE FITS PSYCHOLOGY?F E Y E R AB AN D ( NO ME T H O D ) /K U H N ( PA R AD I G M/ R E V O L U T I O N ) / P O P PE R ( FA LS I F I AB L E )MIND BODY PROBLEM • As Psychologist….do we study the mind? Do we study behavior? • How would a Behaviorist vs. Cognitive Psy view this?PSYCHOGENY• Identity theory maintains that psyche is instilled into the organism at one point in time. • Psyche remains identical throughout the lifespan. • Problems with Identity theory?• Psychogenic Emergentism suggests that psyche develops as the neurology develops.• Problems with Psychogenic Emergentism?1/20/20167CAUSALITY• What is the goal of Psychology?• Aristotle’s four causes• Causality is complex• Teleology – purpose• Investigation of the evidence that there is a design or “purpose”• Intrinsic = characteristics or manifestations of nature• Extrinsic = There is a designer for thisCAUSALITY & DAVID HUME• There is no cause and effect in science, we just study relationships between events• Causation is complex and difficult• Can we really say X causes Y….even if we do an RCT??THE PROBLEM OF EXPLANATION • Analogies • risk overstating similarities; intellectual laziness• Models as explanations • apply only in a limited fashion to what we wish to explain1/20/20168THE PROBLEM OF EXPLANATION • Numerical analyses • can describe and predict, but explanation is limited• Neurological and physiological explanations • can provide input on the physiological processes, but can they explain psychological phenomena?P S Y 401 - L E C T U R E 2P H I L O S O P H I C AL I S S U E SHISTORY & SYSTEMS OF PSYCHOLOGYFREE WILL & DETERMINISM• Libertarians – Pro Free Will• Despite genetics and environment we still have free will• Arguments for….• Explain human experience• Believing in determinism is illogical• Determinism makes a mess of morality by eliminating responsibility• Determinism is challenged by quantum indeterminism1/20/20169FREE WILL & DETERMINISM APPLIED Free Will Applied: • Maslow & Rogers – free will or personal agency is necessary for us to becoming fully functional human beings!Point of Therapy?FREE WILL & DETERMINISM• Determinism• There are causes for everything• Arguments for….• Advances in neuroscience • Free will makes a mess of morality as it can justify excessive punishment“God Doesn't play dice with the Universe” EinsteinDETERMINISM APPLIED Determinism Applied:• Imitation of behavior • Albert Bandura and Social LearningGenetics Predisposition for mental illnessPredisposition for addiction1/20/20161028EXPERIMENTS ON FREE WILLHOW C AN WE S T UDY T HI S Q UES T IONLIBET EXPERIMENT OVERVIEW• Libet et al. (1983): Time of conscious intention to act in relation to onset of cerebral activity (readiness potential): the unconscious initiation of a freely voluntary act. Brain 106, 623–642.• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnGDrc_s6KATHE TEMPERING EFFECT OF DETERMINISM IN THE LEGAL SYSTEM (VINEY, 1990)A S SU M P TI O N S O F T H E LE G A L P R O FE S S IO N A N D T HE S OC I A L S C IE N C ES … W H A T I S T H E P R O B LE M HE R E ? / C A N Y OU G A IN F R E E W IL L IN O N E D A Y?1/20/201611DISCUSSION GROUPS/2-MIN PAPER• Groups of 4 – Discuss the assigned reading, specifically……• Briefly discuss some of the far reaching implications mentioned in the article that are the most meaningful to you. Why do you feel this way?• How does a Psychologist view mental illness? Does this differ from how the legal systems views mental illness? If yes – how and why?• What type of implications does this have for the future of the legal system?• Let’s share our thoughts…..• Write down a few sentences about your group discussion – being specific to mention