Elizabeth O’Shea & Alexandra Page
(1832-1920)
• German Philosopher &
Psychologist
• Often referred to as the "Father
of Experimental Psychology"
and the "Founder of Modern
Psychology"
• Established the first laboratory
in the world dedicated to
experimental psychology
• First experiment was seeking to
measure “atoms of the mind”:
– Machine measured the time lag
between people’s hearing a ball
hit a platform and their pressing a
telegraph key
• Born January 11, 1842 in New York City.
• Studied at Harvard Medical School, but realized his
disinterest in medicine.
– Began to study with Hermann von Helmholtz and
became increasingly interested in psychology.
• After graduating from Harvard Medical School in
1869, James suffered from depression.
• James accepted a job as a psychology instructor and
went on to teach at Harvard for the next 35 years.
• Founded one of the first experimental psychology
laboratories in the United States
• His theories:
– Pragmatism: the idea that the truth of an idea can never
be proven. James proposed we instead focus on what he
called the "cash value," or usefulness, of an idea.
– Functionalism: opposed the structuralism focus on
introspection and instead focused on the wholeness of
an event, taking into impact the environment on a
behavior.
– James-Lange Theory of Emotion: proposes that an event
triggers a physiological reaction, which we then
interpret.
• After previous denial, Miss
Calkins was eventually
granted permission to sit in
on William James’ lectures
at Harvard (even when
women were denied
acceptance into the school.)
• In addition to being the first
woman president of the
American Psychological
Association, Calkins also
served as president of the
American Philosophical
Association in 1918.
• A leading American
psychologist in early 20th
century
• Best known for
experimental work in
animal behavior and motor
theory development.
• First woman to be granted a
Ph.D in psychology
• Claimed, not only one but
both approaches to
psychology, that
behaviorism and
introspection, should be
involved in studying human
behavior
• Originator of Psychoanalysis
• His theories have been the
subject of considerable
controversy and debate, his
impact on psychology,
therapy, and culture is
undeniable.
• Freudian Ideas:
– The conscious and
unconscious mind
– The Id, Ego, and Superego
– Life and Death instincts
– Psychosexual Development
– Defense mechanisms
• Influential American
psychologist
• One of the founders of the
humanistic approach
• He wrote 16 books and
many more journal articles
describing the humanistic
approach
• Many of his theories have
been used for various
psychotherapies.
• Attended the from the
University of Wisconsin
where he received his BA
in 1930, his MA in 1931,
and his PhD in 1934 in
psychology.
• One of the many
interesting things Maslow
noticed while he worked
with monkeys early in his
career, was that some
needs take precedence
over others- therefore, he
came up with a
HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS
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Watson began teaching psychology at John
Hopkins University in 1908. In 1913, he
gave a seminal lecture at Columbia
University titled Psychology as the
Behaviorist Views It, which essentially
detailed the behaviorist position.
In his most famous and controversial
experiment, known today as the "Little
Albert" experiment, John Watson and a
graduate assistant named Rosalie Rayner
conditioned a small child to fear a white
rat. They accomplished this by repeatedly
pairing the white rat with a loud,
frightening clanging noise. They were also
able to demonstrate that this fear could be
generalized to other white, furry objects.
The ethics of the experiment are often
criticized today, especially because the
child's fear was never deconditioned.
According to John Watson, psychology
should be the science of observable
behavior.
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In 1948, Skinner joined the
psychology department at Harvard
University where he remained for the
rest of his life.
He became one of the leaders of
behaviorism and his work
contributed immensely to
experimental psychology.
He also invented the 'Skinner box,' in
which a rat learns to obtain food by
pressing a lever.
B.F. Skinner is famous for his research
on operant conditioning and negative
reinforcement.
Skinner is one of the first to discover
operant behavior.
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While researching the digestive
function of dogs, Pavlov noted that
dogs would salivate before the
delivery of food.
In a series of well-known
experiments, he presented a variety
of stimuli before the presentation of
food, eventually finding that, after
repeated association, a dog would
salivate to the presence of a stimulus
other than food.
He termed this response a
conditional reflex.
Pavlov also discovered that these
reflexes originate in the cerebral
cortex of the brain.
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In a series of controversial experiments
conducted in 1960s, Harry and
MargaretHarlow demonstrated the
powerful effects of love.
By showing the devastating effects of
deprivation on young rhesus monkeys,
Harlow revealed the importance of a
mother's love for healthy childhood
development.
His experiments were often unethical
and shockingly cruel, yet they
uncovered fundamental truths that
have heavily influenced our
understanding of child development.
Harlow’s most famous experiment
involved giving young rhesus monkeys a
choice between two different "mothers."
One was made of soft terrycloth, but
provided no food. The other was made of
wire, but provided food from an attached
baby bottle.
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Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was
one of the first to scientifically study
forgetting.
In experiments where is used himself
as the subject, Ebbinghaus tested his
memory using three-letter nonsense
syllables. Using previously known
words would have made use of
previously existing knowledge and
associations in his memory.
His results, plotted in what is known
as the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve,
revealed a relationship between
forgetting and time.
Initially, information is often lost very
quickly after it is learned.
The forgetting curve also showed that
forgetting does not continue to decline until all
of the information is lost. At a certain point,
the amount of forgetting levels off. What
exactly does this mean? It indicates that
information stored in long-term memory is
surprisingly stable.
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Jean Piaget provided support for the idea
that children think differently than adults.
His research identified several important
milestones in the mental development of
children.
His work also generated interest in cognitive
and developmental psychology.
Best known for his research on children's
cognitive development, Piaget studied the
intellectual development of his own three
children.
Piaget's theory described stages that
children pass through in the development of
intelligence and formal thought processes.
The theory describes four stages; (1)the
sensorimotor stage, (2)the preoperational
stage (3)the concrete operational stage, and
(4) the formal operation stage.
Piaget's theories are widely accepted
and studied today by students of
both psychology and education.
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Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial
development is one of the best-known
theories of personality in psychology.
In each stage, Erikson believed people
experience a conflict that serves as a
turning point in development.
In Erikson’s view, these conflicts are
centered on either developing a
psychological quality or failing to develop
that quality. During these times, the
potential for personal growth is high, but
so is the potential for failure.
Trust vs. Mistrust, Autonomy vs. Shame
and Doubt, Initiative vs. Guilt, Industry
vs. Inferiority, Identity vs. Role Confusion,
Intimacy vs. Isolation, Generativity vs.
Stagnation, Integrity vs. Despair
• Psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg
modified and expanded upon Jean
Piaget's work to form a theory
that explained the development
of moral reasoning.
• Kohlberg ‘s theory of moral
development outlined six stages
within three different levels.
• Kohlberg proposed that moral
development is a continual
process that occurs throughout
the lifespan.
• Preconvetional Morality ,
Conventional Morality,
Postconventional Morality
THE END