PSY 181 Study Guide - Final Guide: Personal Development, Reflex Arc, Edward Thorndike

• School: University of Rochester
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 181
• Professor: C H R I S T O P H E R N I E M I E C

Document Summary

Psychological theories that assume a mechanistic metatheory view people as machines. For mechanistic theories, only material and efficient causes are operative. Uses material makeup to explain a behavior. Non teleological: (no purpose of meaning behind a behavior, behavior doesn"t intend toward some final outcome that"s determined by the behavior) Conscious behavior in no way causes behavior. Humans are nothing but machines, who are controlled fully by forces outside of our control. Response: behaving organisms possess a spirit, a solute that animates the organism with life and energy. Three different types of souls: vegetative soul: plants possess them. It is a primitive soul, no feelings and no imaginations are involved: sensitive soul: animals possess them. Allows for basic emotions and responses to stimuli: rational soul: only humans possess them. Descartes sought to develop knowledge based on observation. To do so, he focused on the physics and biology of organism. He overturned the aristotelian view on three types of souls.