Lecture 3: Introduction to Psychology - Gestalt School of Thought and Behaviorism

Introduction

Discussed evolution of psychology.
Covered Wilhelm Wundt’s contributions:
- Laboratory in Germany.
- Founder of structuralism.
- Introduced introspection.
Discussed functionalism by William James.

Founders: Kohler, Kafka, and Wertheimer.
Focus: Perception over structure or function of the mind.
Key Concept: Perceptual experiences are more than the sum of all components of perception.
- Example: Seeing and smelling a fart are components; the experience involves additional judgment and conclusion.
Perception vs. Experience: Perception uses sensory organs; experience includes judgment and insight.
Holistic Experiences:
- Experiences are made up of various components (judgments, biases, etc.).
- To understand an experience, one should understand all its components.

Founders: John Watson (Father of Behaviorism), Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner, and Albert Bandura (later contribution).
Focus: Observable and verifiable behaviors.
Criticism of Structuralism:
- Denies the concept of mind and consciousness as they are not observable.
- Introspection is subjective, not objective or verifiable.
Key Concepts:
- Behavior is a response to stimuli that is observable, measurable, and studied objectively.
- Observable means it can be seen and recorded; verifiable means it can be confirmed by others.
Important Theories:
- Ivan Pavlov: Classical Conditioning.
- B.F. Skinner: Operant Conditioning.
- Albert Bandura: Observational Learning.

Note: Focus on using this content to explain and illustrate key concepts in exams or papers to achieve high marks.