psychology from plato to the pigeon bomb... and beyond! tristram jones, ph.d. introduction to...
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The Early Neuroscientists Descartes (call him Rene) believed Descartes (call him Rene) believed mind and body are fundamentally mind and body are fundamentally distinct! distinct! (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, please call (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, please call your office!) your office!) Francis Gall ( ) thought Rene was wrong and dug out dead folks’ brains to prove it. Paul Broca proved brain areas control Function—but not awareness! Dr. Alan Lesher, take note!TRANSCRIPT
Psychology from Psychology from Plato to the Pigeon Plato to the Pigeon
Bomb... and Beyond!Bomb... and Beyond!Tristram Jones, Ph.D.Tristram Jones, Ph.D.
Introduction to PsychologyIntroduction to PsychologySS124 26AUSS124 26AU
Kaplan UniversityKaplan University
Plato and AristotlePlato and AristotlePlato (428BC-347BC) Plato saw the just person as one with a harmonious soul who was a truly just individual. The person with a harmonious soul is necessarily good because he connects moral values to knowledge. The person with the harmonious soul will: (a) lack psychic dissonance, (b) only be governed by principles, And (c) will derive those principles from knowledge of the FORM of the GOOD. This makes PLATO a NATIVIST! (What’s that???) And something of a religious mystic!
Aristotle describes mind (nous, often also rendered as "intellect" or "reason") as “the part of the soul by which it knows and understands” thus characterizing it in broadly functional terms. But he is an empiricist (structuralist!) and his philosophy is based on the concept of “tabula rasa.”
The Early NeuroscientistsThe Early Neuroscientists Descartes (call him Rene) believedDescartes (call him Rene) believed mind and body are fundamentallymind and body are fundamentally distinct! 1595-1650distinct! 1595-1650 (Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, please call(Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, please call your office!)your office!)Francis Gall (1758-1828) thought Francis Gall (1758-1828) thought Rene was wrong and dug out Rene was wrong and dug out dead folks’ brains to prove it. Pauldead folks’ brains to prove it. PaulBroca proved brain areas control Broca proved brain areas control Function—but Function—but not awarenessnot awareness! ! Dr. Alan Lesher, take note!Dr. Alan Lesher, take note!
When things were BORING....When things were BORING.... Aristotelian in his empiricism, Wilhelm Wundt examined the subjective Aristotelian in his empiricism, Wilhelm Wundt examined the subjective
impression of subjects who were shown colors or who listened to impression of subjects who were shown colors or who listened to sounds. Wundt tried to break subjective impressions down into basic sounds. Wundt tried to break subjective impressions down into basic elements—like chemistry. He called this “structuralism.” Unfortunately, elements—like chemistry. He called this “structuralism.” Unfortunately, Edward Titchener studied with Wundt in Leipzig and then moved to Edward Titchener studied with Wundt in Leipzig and then moved to America where he taught students at Cornell to catalogue their America where he taught students at Cornell to catalogue their subjective impressions of stimuli. He came up with 44,000 impressions! subjective impressions of stimuli. He came up with 44,000 impressions!
The Dawn of The Dawn of Functionalism!Functionalism! William James disputed structuralism andWilliam James disputed structuralism and
he and Wundt despised each other! James he and Wundt despised each other! James took a holistic view of consciousness and took a holistic view of consciousness and believed truth was a flexible mental believed truth was a flexible mental construct—early construct—early postmodernismpostmodernism? He read? He read Darwin and concluded that an important Darwin and concluded that an important aspect of structuralism was adaptation toaspect of structuralism was adaptation to environment. The other part of functionalismenvironment. The other part of functionalism entailed the study of consciousness as aentailed the study of consciousness as a stream, not separate elements, that couldstream, not separate elements, that could encompass the supernatural and God as encompass the supernatural and God as well as mundane truths and concepts!well as mundane truths and concepts!
James also tended to have brilliant moments ofJames also tended to have brilliant moments ofinsight that shocked and confused his academicinsight that shocked and confused his academicpeers. The peers. The Hypothesis of James’s BearHypothesis of James’s Bear not only not onlyleft other psychologists cold– it effectively pre-left other psychologists cold– it effectively pre-dicted sympathetic nervous system activities anddicted sympathetic nervous system activities andWilliam Glasser’s REALITY THERAPY!William Glasser’s REALITY THERAPY!
Sigmund FreudSigmund FreudFREUD began by studying hypnosis under Charcot –Treating Hysteria. He concluded there were many conscious selves!He tried hypnosis back in Vienna but rejected it as ineffective.Instead, he developed the TALKING CURE—psychoanalysis! THUS: FREE ASSOCIATION-REISTANCE-TRANSFERENCETHE SUBCONSCIOUS (Although James may have coined term!)EGO / SUPEREGO / ID CLINICAL OPACITY and all that stuff! LIBIDO was very controversial be- cause it emphasized sex—and dark, mysterious, repressed sexual yearnings! Freud gave us the Oedipal Complex, the Elektra Complex, castration
fears, and the idea that sexual molestation is nearly ubiquitous! FREUD’S belief that free association would unearth hidden, repressed secrets from the patient’s past is the birth of talking therapy, and the main reason we aren’t all sitting in laboratories in lab coats!
BEHAVIORISM BEHAVIORISM STRIKES!STRIKES! 1902:1902: Pavlov conditions dogs to salivate when they hearPavlov conditions dogs to salivate when they hear
a bell ring! This conditioned response sets the world ofa bell ring! This conditioned response sets the world of psychology on fire and turns everyone into a born-againpsychology on fire and turns everyone into a born-again empiricist! BELL:NS/CS MEAT: US DROOLING: UR/ CR! empiricist! BELL:NS/CS MEAT: US DROOLING: UR/ CR!
John B Watson and his lovely assistant Rosalie John B Watson and his lovely assistant Rosalie Rayner are probably not torturing this infant—it Rayner are probably not torturing this infant—it just looks like it! But Watson’s “Little Albert” just looks like it! But Watson’s “Little Albert” Experiment (1920) put behaviorism on the map!Experiment (1920) put behaviorism on the map! Inspired by Pavlov, Watson declares psychology can study nothing but behavior, all else is illusion!
B. F. Skinner made behaviorism the only game in town in the 1950s, wrote “Beyond Freedom and Dignity” and invented the PIGEON BOMB! “The Consequences of behavior determine whether it will be more or less likely to reoccur!” Reinforcement vs.Punishment!
Escape from behaviorism!!!Escape from behaviorism!!! The Rise of Humanism!The Rise of Humanism!
What could be farther from the cold cruel world of What could be farther from the cold cruel world of behaviorismbehaviorism
than HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLGY? Carl Rogers brought us than HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLGY? Carl Rogers brought us Person-Person-
Centered Therapy along with Abraham Maslow! People wereCentered Therapy along with Abraham Maslow! People were suddenly able to Therapize themselves if led by reflection, suddenly able to Therapize themselves if led by reflection, paraphrasing and mirroring! Direction and intervention paraphrasing and mirroring! Direction and intervention
were were OUT! OUT! Everybody was free to realize his or her human potential –Everybody was free to realize his or her human potential –
just injust in time for the 1960s! Wow, man!time for the 1960s! Wow, man!POSTMODERNI styles such as NARRATIVE THERAPY are definitelyPOSTMODERNI styles such as NARRATIVE THERAPY are definitelyThe offshoot of the Humanistic Movement. The offshoot of the Humanistic Movement.
Other Other developments:developments:
Noam Chomsky takes apart Skinner’s Noam Chomsky takes apart Skinner’s theory of language!theory of language!
Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis develop Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis develop cognitive therapies (CT and RET!)cognitive therapies (CT and RET!)
Albert Bandura published Albert Bandura published Social Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory!Social Cognitive Theory!
Behaviorism discovers thinking!Behaviorism discovers thinking! Cognitivists discover behavior! Cognitivists discover behavior! WHAT WILL HAPPEN????WHAT WILL HAPPEN????
Cognitive Behaviorism Rules Cognitive Behaviorism Rules TodayToday
CBT and REBT: Beck now teaches Cognitive Be-Beck now teaches Cognitive Be- havioral Therapy. Ellis taught havioral Therapy. Ellis taught Rational Emotive Behavioral Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy until his recent death.Therapy until his recent death. These systems are far and awayThese systems are far and away the most popular therapies in thethe most popular therapies in the United States today. They showUnited States today. They show empirically defensible efficacies!empirically defensible efficacies!Thus we began this journey with PLATO and ARISTOTLE andThus we began this journey with PLATO and ARISTOTLE andConcluded it with Beck and Ellis---Concluded it with Beck and Ellis---can this be progress???can this be progress???