PSY 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: 3 Count, Monism, Psy
11 Jan 2017
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Of ce hours: tuesdays 4-6pm or by appointment, in 330 lisb. Goals: an introduction to the science of psychology; how the structure and function of the brain relates to psychological processes and behavior, develop scienti c thinking about psychology. Modes of learning: assigned readings, in-class lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. Grades are calculated on a standard a-f grading scale. Philosophical developments: monism vs. dualism (mind-body problem) Dualism (descartes): there are 2 kinds of substance: mental (the soul) and physical (the body) Monism (hobbes): concept of sprit/soul is meaningless. Conscious thought is an epiphenomenon, a product of the brain"s machinery: nature vs. nurture: where does knowledge come from. Nurture: knowledge comes from physical experience (learning, culture, experience, environment) Nature: we are born with it (genetics, innateness) January 11, 2017: darwinian theory: that certain behaviors get passed on because they are useful to human survival. Experimental psychology german experimentalists studied the simplest of mental processes, i. e. how we perceive light.
