PS102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Mental Process, Psychophysics, Behaviorism
Document Summary
Psychology: the scienti c study of mental processes and behaviour. Mental processes: things going on in our mind that are not observable to another. I. e. language, recalling memory, problem solving, reasoning, imagining. Behaviour: things that were doing that can be observed by another. Ie. biking, talking, eating, sleeping, washing dishes, calling a cab. Prediction of the circumstances that lead to the expression of a speci c behaviour. Mental process and behaviours can be studied at the multiple levels of analysis. Psychology early roots were in philosophy and psychophysics. By the 1600 modern science began to thrive. Psychophysics: study of relationship between physical stimuli and their psychological e ects pioneers in 1800s. Battle of schools what should the focus be. Structuralism: sought to understand the basic elements of consciousness. Functionalism: sought to understand the function of the mind. Gestalt psychologist: said consciousness cannot be broken down into elements.
