The Antecedents of Functionalism

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The Antecedents The Antecedents of Functionalism of Functionalism

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The Antecedents of Functionalism. The Functionalist Protest. Structuralism was too limiting What does the mind do? Functionalism is all about applying knowledge. Evolution before Darwin. Plato and Aristotle Christian thought Divine Creation Erasmus Darwin Set it and forget it - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of The Antecedents of Functionalism

Page 1: The Antecedents  of Functionalism

The Antecedents of The Antecedents of FunctionalismFunctionalism

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The Functionalist Protest• Structuralism was too limiting• What does the mind do?• Functionalism is all about applying

knowledge

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Evolution before Darwin

Plato and AristotleChristian thoughtDivine CreationErasmus Darwin

Set it and forget itJean Lemark

Environmental changes result in structural changes

Charles Lyell

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Humans and Ape-like creatures

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Charles Darwin (1809-1882)Charles Darwin (1809-1882) Party Boy from Rich FamilyParty Boy from Rich Family

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HMS Beagle Captain Fitzroy was a deeply religious man Trip lasted from 1831-1836

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Journey of the HMS Beagle

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Survival of the Fittest (or good enough)

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• The constant battle between creationism and evolutionary perspectives exists today

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Darwin’s ContributionDarwin’s Contribution►A focus on animal psychology, which A focus on animal psychology, which

formed the basis of comparative formed the basis of comparative psychologypsychology

►An emphasis on the functions rather than An emphasis on the functions rather than the structure of functionsthe structure of functions

►The acceptance of methodology and data The acceptance of methodology and data from Many fieldsfrom Many fields

►A focus on the description and A focus on the description and measurement of individual differences.measurement of individual differences.

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Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911)Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911)

• Darwin’s Cousin• Hereditary Genius• Eugenics: Good genes

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Statistical methodsStatistical methodsMental testsMental testsAssociation of IdeasAssociation of IdeasMental ImageryMental ImageryArithmetic by SmellArithmetic by Smell

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George John Romanes (1848-1894)

Anecdotal method: the use of observational reports about animal behavior.Introspection by analogy: a technique for studying animal behavior by assuming that the same mental processes that occur in the observer’s mind also occur in the animal’s mind/

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Romanes believed cats were the Romanes believed cats were the most intelligent of all creaturesmost intelligent of all creatures

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Ontogeny recapitulates Phylogeny

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C. Lloyd Morgan

(Lloyd Morgan’s Canon). The notion that animal behavior must not be attributed to a higher mental process when it can be explained by a lower mental process