PSYC39H3 Study Guide - Winter 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Canada, Torture, Theoretical Physics
PSYC39H3
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
PSYC39-Lecture 1- Psychology, Philosophy of Science & Forensics
- Midterm might not be October 16th 5pm-7pm (will probably change)
4 requirements of a Science:
1. Natural law requirement
2. Reductionist language used for definition
3. Inter-Science Consistency requirement
a. This is how people at different levels of science can understand the fundamental
aspect of a fact
4. Empirical test requirement
Thought Experiment:
- What is being studied is empirical and doesn’t reflect any natural law
oThe car experiment thing
oIf doing this experiment during rush hour, there will be replicability, consistency,
etc.
oIf it is a Canada Day Monday or Thanksgiving Monday, all bets are off
oAll these situations are subjective and have nothing to do with the universal law
Illustration:
- Newton’s Second Law of Motion: F=MA
- We have a higher order construct force
oMass is a fundamental measurable element in the Newtonian world
- The organ systems define the organisms, and the organ systems are defined by the
cells
oBiology: ecosystems, organisms, organ systems, cells organelles
oChemistry: macromolecules, molecules
oPhysics: atoms, sub-atomic particles, energy
- There is a physical order that runs the universe
- If one’s car were to break down, they would not have called a physicist (even though
they know the flow of electrons and shit), they would call their mechanic
oBecause now the same information is being used in a different level of science
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
oAnd different components are being applied
It requires an applied technological expert and not a theoretical physicist
Fundamental Problems with Psychology:
- Unknowable “black box:
oWanted to keep psych empirical and was reacting against the psychoanalysis
and was why he kept psych subjective
oCut off psych from the natural sciences, since it explains the behaviour of one in
an upward manner and not inward;
- Problem w describing things upward:
oPsychology uses circularity; uses symptoms to diagnose and not looking for the
base reason behind why something is occurring
- Medication does not always work on everyone because the triggers for different
symptoms are different for everyone (ex. Some symptoms are triggered by cognitive
aspects, social aspects, etc.)
- Since there are no central theories that relate to objective aspects of processing,
psychology is a patchwork of localized theory
- Reductionism: Terrible thing because we are humans and more than the some of the
parts
oAlthough it doesn’t let you understand anything
- The way things are put together is what makes the whole greater than the sum of the
parts
Re Definition of Behaviour:
- Behaviour: expressed information
oBehaviour is a response to the environment as it provides cues
oPeople that believe delusions, they are fixed beliefs that are contrary to facts
oExpression of their faulty information, unrealistic
- Different types of info have neural segregated aspects in the brain
Implications:
- How these discrete systems interact and activate and deactivate
- This shows how psychologists should be more trained
- And behavioural genetics should become a part of the core curriculum
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Psyc39-lecture 1- psychology, philosophy of science & forensics. Midterm might not be october 16th 5pm-7pm (will probably change) 4 requirements of a science: natural law requirement, reductionist language used for definition. Inter-science consistency requirement: this is how people at different levels of science can understand the fundamental aspect of a fact, empirical test requirement. We have a higher order construct force: mass is a fundamental measurable element in the newtonian world. The organ systems define the organisms, and the organ systems are defined by the cells: biology: ecosystems, organisms, organ systems, cells organelles , chemistry: macromolecules, molecules , physics: atoms, sub-atomic particles, energy. There is a physical order that runs the universe. It requires an applied technological expert and not a theoretical physicist. Problem w describing things upward: psychology uses circularity; uses symptoms to diagnose and not looking for the base reason behind why something is occurring.
