PSYCH 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Empiricism, Monism, Luigi Galvani
Document Summary
Psychology = the scientific study of behaviour and the factors that influence it. Taking into account biological, individual and environmental factors. Two types of research: basic research: knowledge gained purely for its own sake. The goals are to describe how people behave and to identify factors that influence it. Uses principles discovered via basic research to solve practical problems. Four basic goals: describe how people and animals behave, explain and understand the causes of the behaviour, predict how people and animals behave under certain conditions, influence or control the behaviour through knowledge and control of causes. Nativism: knowledge is innate (inherited), focus on hereditary factors; nature. Empiricism: knowledge gained through observation and our senses, experiences, study. Roots of psychology: only what could be observed; nurture. Aristotle: empiricism, knowledge is gained through experiences (environment and upbringing shape cognitive abilities) John locke: tabula rasa , born as a clean slate, same as aristotle. Phernology (gall): bumps in skull indicate overdeveloped brain regions.
