PSYA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Thalamus, Reinforcement, Observational Learning
Document Summary
Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. Plato believed in nativism, which argues that knowledge is innate or inborn. Aristotle believed the opposite and thought that people"s mind started out as a blank slate. Rene descartes believed that the mind and body were two different things, or dualism. Thomas hobbes on the other hand believed that the mind was what the brain does. Franz gall developed phrenology (specific mental abilities are localized in specific regions of the brain) as a result of observing people"s brains who died healthy and from diseases. Wilhelm wundt was the first person to open a lab for psychology. He believed in structuralism, which is the analysis of the basic elements that constitute the mind. William james on the other hand was all for functionalism, which was the study of the purpose mental processes serve in enabling people to adapt to their environment.
