PSY 4130 Lecture 15: Behaviourism and Learning
5 Jun 2018
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Lecture 15: Behaviourism and Learning
Positivism: The experience places (posits) knowledge in the mind.
A central tenet of positivism is that empirical observations equal knowledge: we can be
certain of anything which is publicly observable. Publicity observable events cannot be
denied, so they constitute data.
French philosopher Auguste Comte proposed that societies pass through three stages of
evolution: theological, metaphysical, and scientific, with explanations of natural phonons
being grounded differently across them.
Evolutionary Stage:
i. Theological: superstition, mysticism
ii. Metaphysical: unseen principles, laws, and essences
iii. Scientific: description, prediction, control
Machian View of Positivism: believed that the scientists job was to determine which
sensations clustered together and to describe the reactions among them in mathematical
terms. He did not believe in a priori knowledge (we learn everything we may possibly need
to know) of the world; rather knowledge consists of experiences that are systematical
organized.
Ivan Sechenov is seen as the father of objective psychology in Russia. Trained as a physician
in Moscow, he went on to study with Johannes Muller and Helmholtz.
Believed all behaviour was cause by external stimuli not inner thoughts.
he discovered inhibitory mechanisms in the brain. As a result, he attempted to explain all
behaviour in terms of reflexes that can be exited or inhibited.
In his view, because physiology consisted of observables, physiology was the key to
discovering and analyzing psychological phenomena.
Ivan Pavlov: the dogs & conditioned stimulus.
Behaviourism: in its inception, it was the idea that if psychology were to be a true science
Neuro is objective, but relies on nature.
Experimental is objective, but relies on nurture.
No way of determining what is truly the best and most objective way, because both are.
Watson: “The goal of psychological study is the ascertaining of such data and laws that, given
the stimulus, psychology can predict what the response will be; or, on the other hand, given
the response, it can specify the nature of the effective stimulus.”
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Positivism: the experience places (posits) knowledge in the mind. A central tenet of positivism is that empirical observations equal knowledge: we can be certain of anything which is publicly observable. Publicity observable events cannot be denied, so they constitute data. French philosopher auguste comte proposed that societies pass through three stages of evolution: theological, metaphysical, and scientific, with explanations of natural phonons being grounded differently across them. Evolutionary stage: theological: superstition, mysticism, metaphysical: unseen principles, laws, and essences, scientific: description, prediction, control. Machian view of positivism: believed that the scientists job was to determine which sensations clustered together and to describe the reactions among them in mathematical terms. He did not believe in a priori knowledge (we learn everything we may possibly need to know) of the world; rather knowledge consists of experiences that are systematical organized. Ivan sechenov is seen as the father of objective psychology in russia.
