Psychology 101

Intro Bio Cog Psych

University of British Columbia
Dr. Luke Clark

Lecture 2 (6th January 2017)

Psychology Past and Present

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 Chapter 1: Learning objectives

To explore the early roots of psychology in philosophy and

physiology
Some classic hot potatos: nature vs nurture, the mind-body
problem
Main schools of thought in emergence of modern
psychology: structuralism vs functionalism, behaviourism

Picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Descartes-reflex.JPG

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 The scientific study of psychology

Psyche (soul) + -ology (study of)

Psychological science
Scientific study of behaviour, the mind
and brain

Cognitive psychology
Study of cognitive (mental) processes,
products Picture: http://mindbrain.ucdavis.edu/

Biological psychology
Study of the biology that gives rise to
cognition and behaviour

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 The Greek Philosophers

Plato (~350BC)
Nativism: at least certain kinds
of knowledge are innate or
inborn

Aristotle (~350BC): the mind

is a blank slate on which
experiences are written
Philosophical empiricism:
knowledge is acquired through
experience

Geo Martinez/FeaturePics

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Hot potato #1: the Nature Nurture
debate
Francis Galton (1822-1911)

Personality is composed of two (and only

two) elements:
Nature: which is inherited
Nurture: from our environment

Galton said if the two were in competition,

nature would triumph

Recognized twins as a powerful design for

separating these influences

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 Hot potato #2: the mind-
body problem
Rene Descartes (1596-1650)
Dualism: physical body as a
container for the non-physical
mind

Linked via pineal gland

Most scientists reject dualism

and embrace Gilbert Ryles
(1949) scientific materialism

Picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Descartes-reflex.JPG
http://humanityhealing.net/2010/09/pineal-gland-the-transcendental-gateway/

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 Hot potato #3: localization of function

Franz Josef Gall (1758-1828)

Phrenology
Localization of function

Brain organization
Pierre Flourens (1774-1867):
experimental brain lesions have
different effects

vs Karl Lashleys mass action (1929):

learning impairment proportionate to
lesion size, regardless of location

Source: Schacter et al (2014) Psychology (3rd Edition), Worth Publishers.

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 French neurology

Paul Broca (1824-1880)

Mr. Leborgne was nicknamed Tan because

it was the only word he could say.
Intact comprehension e.g. object pointing
Impaired speech production

When Mr. Leborgne died in

1861, Paul Broca dissected
his brain and found a lesion
in the left frontal lobe
which, he concluded, had
been responsible for
Source: Schacter et al (2014) Psychology (3rd Edition), Worth Publishers.
Leborgnes loss of speech

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 Timeline Titchener
Wundt: 1st sets up 1st lab
Descartes: Brocas psych lab in in North
dualism Area Germany America

1649 1861 1879 1892

1859 1869 1890 1898

Darwins Galton: Thorndikes

theory of nature vs Law of Effect
evolution nurture

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 Insights from Physiology

Hermann von Helmholtz

(1821-1894): Studied
human reaction time;
estimated the length of
nerve impulse
Stimulus: Sensory input
from the environment
Reaction time: Amount
of time taken to

Hulton Archive/ Getty Images

respond to a specific
stimulus

Estimated speed of neural

transmission at 27m/s
Source: Schacter et al (2014) Psychology (3rd Edition), Worth Publishers.

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 Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920): Opened the first psych lab
Consciousness: Persons subjective experience of the world
and the mind
Structuralism: Analysis of the basic elements that constitute
the mind
Introspection: Subjective observation of ones own experience
Source: Schacter et al (2014) Psychology (3rd Edition), Worth Publishers.

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 William James and the Functional
Approach

Indebted to Darwin
Why does this function exist?
Why is it adaptive?

e.g. disgust
Why do we experience this emotion
Why do we communicate that emotion?
Why does this expression look as it does?

Source: Chapman et al (2009) Science.

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