PSYA01H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Gustav Fechner, Psychophysics, Wilhelm Wundt
PSYA01 – Lecture 2: The Birth and Early Years of Psychology
GERMANY
- Mindset: invest in science, especially new and innovative sciences
o Hermann von Heinholtz (1821-1894)
▪ Measuring Speed of Neural Impulses
▪ Can measure things that are difficult to measure or even see; without scientific
equipment – can be more creative
o Ernst Weber (1795-1878)
▪ Psychophysics
• physis – study of how object/things behave in external world
• Psychophysics – same study but applied to internal world
▪ Weber experiments:
• Put different weights on each hand to see when a person can tell the
difference
just otieale differee ex. 100 vs 105 hard to tell, 100 vs 110 can
tell.
• PROOF - Found out 10% more. Found a mathematical fraction constant
• People started realizing that you can measure the mind.
▪ CURRENT EXAMPLE psychophysics in action: eye doctor, eye exam
o Gustav Fechner textbook
Birth of Psychology:
- Willhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
o 1st to refer himself as a psychologist
o Wrote 1st psychology textbook The Principles of Physiological Psychology
▪ New science that ties to physiological (machine of the body). TRIED SUPER
HARD to be scientific
o Loved introspection (introspection – look within (into the minds))
otroersial / its tied to subjective matter. Results differ depending on person
- Others who followed his lead which psychology evolved
o Darwin (1809-1882)
▪ Changed ALL sciences
▪ Pre-Darwin – Biology consisted of gathering specimens & categorizing them
“truturalis – attributes, features, characteristics of species
▪ Darwin – HEY those features have a function, how they came to be how they are.
Evolutionary process. PROCESS. How they work, why they look the way they do.
o William James (1842-1910)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Psya01 lecture 2: the birth and early years of psychology. 100 vs 105 hard to tell, 100 vs 110 can tell: proof - found out 10% more. Found a mathematical fraction constant: people started realizing that you can measure the mind, current example psychophysics in action: eye doctor, eye exam, gustav fechner textbook. Willhelm wundt (1832-1920: 1st to refer himself as a psychologist, wrote 1st psychology textbook (cid:862)the principles of physiological psychology(cid:863, new science that ties to physiological (machine of the body). Hard to be scientific: loved introspection (introspection look within (into the minds)) (cid:272)o(cid:374)tro(cid:448)ersial (cid:271)/(cid:272) it(cid:859)s tied to subjective matter. I(cid:374)terested i(cid:374) (cid:862)fu(cid:374)(cid:272)tio(cid:374)alis(cid:373)(cid:863) purpose, and what things do. (cid:862)e(cid:448)olutio(cid:374)(cid:863) theory of change: cockroaches poison. As time progressed, they became more immune, adaption became hereditary through generations: buff dude attractiveness, evolutionary factors linked with behaviour. Cavemen as protectors need strong man: waist to hip ratio women with hip to waist ratio of 0. 7.
