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Updated: July 24, 2002 |
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Fall 2000 |
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Department Of Psychology |
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WEEK SIX ASSIGNMENTS September 30 - October 4 6.1 Prepare for mid-term assignment - Read up on your assigned philosopher. Assigned Philosophers: 1. AUGUST COMTE Shiepko 6.2 MID-TERM PART ONE: Each individual will prepare a two to three page summary of their assigned philosopher and present to the class during Week Six. Identify possible historical events that may have contributed to this person's views. MID-TERM PART TWO: Choose a partner from the class and develop a cafe style conversation around one of the following issues. Feel free to introduce your own topic if needed. Take the role of your philosopher and record your conversation for two to three pages or more. Enjoy the role! Some starter questions: What is good and evil from your person's perspective? What is the role of science and religion? Do we have souls? How can we explain 21st century terrorism? What role does god play in your life? Others? WEEK
SIX: LECTURE NOTES
The world of the 19th century was
summarized by Baumer (1977) in
Leahy (p200): The social and intellectual world was divided into four
worlds: 1.
The romantic world, which reacted strongly against the
naturalism of the philosophies, asserting the claims of feeling against the
claims of reason. 2.
The Continuing Enlightenment, which continued to develop
the Enlightenment project. 3.
The world of Darwinsim, the central intellectual event
of the nineteenth century. 4.
The fin de siecle (end of the century), a world of
anxiety born of the loss of faith in traditional religion and searches for
alternative sources of solace.” With this background, science became the accepted way of
knowing the real world. Scientific inquiry and the scientific methodology became accepted elements of the
intellectual world. Traditional religion, the mystics and the belief in
spirits of the body was replaced by scientific evidence and belief in the
scientific method as a way of knowing. Human nature became the center of
study for philosophers, writers and physiologists. This represents the
foundation of modern psychology. It appears the 19th century
influences provided the bedrock for psychology as we know today. We will now look at some of the original psychological
movements of this period. As Brennan (p160) says, “ Thus by the end of the
nineteenth century, the Zeitgeist(“spirit of the times”) in the intellectual
climate of Europe showed a readiness to accept the formalized study of
Psychology.” Why was
psychology more acceptable in Germany and not in Britain? (Brennan
p.160) From the German tradition, two psychological models
emerged: Psychology as a natural science and psychology as a human science.
What is the central difference between the two? Psychology as a natural science: Psychology is defined by the variables of the
experimental method. It studies the structural content of psychology,
sometimes referred to “content psychololgy”. Willhelm Wundt and his student
Edward Titchener are associated with this movement. Read how Titchner became
inflexible with the content psychology and the teacher, Wundt developed a
more scientific study of the mind. Wundt is credited with developing the first
psychological laboratory. Many of Wundt’s students were Americans, and true
to the independent spirit at the time, the Americans massaged Wundt’s
psychology to reflect the American spirit of the era as will be seen in later
chapters. Wundt said his position as psychology as a project for scientific
psychology was a mistake from
his youthful days. This lead to his second view of psychology as a natural
science using the experimental method. One such method was called “rigorous
introspection”. This approach was soon dismissed as inappropriate to
scientific rigor. Structural psychology fell out of favor by 1930. A response to Wundt’s and Titchner’s rigid experimental
introspection method of research was a less rigid methodology. Bretano, Stumph and Dilthey agreed that no single method should
be required for psychological scientific research . They proposed more than one experimental method. These methodologies provide the
backbone of the human science model of psychology. Why do many textbooks associate Wundt with the founding
of modern psychology? Is it an historical error or are we missing something?
What do you think? Can anyone
make the connection to structuralism and cognitive psychology? What is it? |
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