Fechner
What was Fechner's contribution to research in psychology?
The use of methods and rationale for mental measurement
Why was Wundt so important to the field of psychology, according to Benjamin?
He was able to combine disciplines (physiology and philosophy) and make a new field of study; Psychology was able to be studied independently
Define Psychophysics. Why is it important that we are studying it?
"The sensation difference remains constant when the relative stimulus difference remains constant" (Benjamin)
What country was highly influential in science and research in the 1800s? Who was seen as the founder of the science of psychology?
Germany; Wundt
Why was Fechner's time in the laboratory so difficult? (ie. What was his main hurdle?)
He needed to find a way to measure the intensity of mental processes, which was challenging (as they are internal, private, subjective, and cannot be measured directly)
What was Wundt's main goal for science, according to Blumenthal?
"The construction of explanations of experience and the development of techniques for objectifying experience" (1081); to recreate experiences in a standardized way
What were Weber's 2 main somatosensory contributions?
1. Touch sensitivity
2. Pressure sensitivity
Who determined that the brain is the 'organ of intelligence'? (hint: he lived around 400 BC)
Hippocrates
What was Fechner's view on the relationship between the physical and the psychical?
Dual-aspect monistic view; mind and body are two aspects of one and the same existent (all nature can be viewed under both the physical and psychical perspective)
Why is the individual experience in psychology important? How does this differ in the natural sciences?
The individual experience of a person is closely researched within the field of psychology; the psychologist is determining the experience of one person
- ex. if a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?
Describe the Weber-Fechner law. How does this contribute to Psychology today?
Shows the difference of the perceived change of a stimulus to the actual change of a stimulus
Why was it so important for psychologists in particular to understand the anatomy of the brain? (must give all 3 reasons for full credit)
1. Cortical localization; to discover if the different areas within the cortex had specific functions
2. Specificity of the nerves; do certain nerves carry certain kinds of information?
3. To discover the speed of nerve conduction within the body
What is the name for the unit of basic measurement Fechner gave for his sensation studies? Why do you think it important to have this unit?
Lumin
What is the key concept in voluntarism? What does it mean?
apperception; "the sensation difference remains constant when the relative stimulus difference remains constant (Benjamin, 37)"
What is one of the methods Weber used in his research (that is still used today in psychology)?
1. Method of average error- measures different thresholds
2. Method of limits- used thresholds to determine the limits of the subject (ex. in auditory experiments)
Who investigated memory in the 1800s? What did he contribute to psychology?
Muller; he researched strategies to retain memory during his experiements
Describe Fechner's findings in both outer and inner psychophysics.
Outer: "The magnitude of sensation, in other words, can be scaled in relation to the scale of physical intensity" (Wozniak)
Inner: discusses the relationship between the intensity of sensation and the magnitude of nervous activity in the brain
What are the 2 factors that every conscious experience has, according to Wundt? Why is this important?
1. The content of the experience
2. What the observer makes of the experience (apprehension)
This showed the differences between the approach of the natural sciences and psychology
What weighs more, a pound of lead or a pound of feathers, according to Benjamin? How does this relate to the ideas of the physical and psychological worlds?
Both weigh the same on a scale, but the example drawn out by Benjamin states if you were given both in your hands, the lead would feel heavier based on our perception. This produces the idea of a psychological experience as separate from physical reality.
Pick one influential member of psychology that we have talked about. Describe what they did and some aspects of what they believed about the mind-body experience.
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