PS390 Study Guide - Final Guide: Psych, Atomism, Social Enterprise
Document Summary
Ontology = the study of being, the fundamental characteristics of reality. Most prominent ontological models in psychology have been technological ones; history of psych often parallels development of technology. Cognitive psych"s model of human mental life based on computer + in earlier eras, psychologists borrowed simpler mechanical devices to express concepts (ex clocks, steam engines) Machine models are embedded w/i network of ontological assumptions; ex that a person responds to an external stimulus like a mechanism, not like a human agent. Dividing psychological phenomena into stimuli/responses (as behaviourists did) or into ivs and dvs (as natural-science psych has done since the 1930s) neglect subjectivity and agency. Instead of investigating complexity of human mental life, mainstream psych assume it is sufficient to study manipulable bits of behaviour (atomism) From perspective of subject, thinking, feeling, and willing are usually experienced in their connection in concrete life-situations and not in isolation.
