Unit 1: Scientific Foundations of Psychology
who's who?B. F. Skinner:
B.F. Skinner's behaviorism made him a dominating force in psychology and therapy techniques based on his theories are still used extensively today, including behavior modification and token economies. Skinner is remembered for his concepts of operant conditioning and schedules of reinforcement. Jean Piaget:
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development had a profound influence on psychology, especially the understanding of children's intellectual growth. His research contributed to the growth of developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, genetic epistemology, and education reform. Sigmund Freud: When people think of psychology, many tend to think of Sigmund Freud. His work supported the belief that not all mental illnesses have physiological causes. He also offered evidence that cultural differences have an impact on psychology and behavior. His work contributed to our understanding of human development, personality, clinical psychology, and abnormal psychology. Albert Bandura: Albert Bandura's work is considered part of the cognitive revolution in psychology that began in the late 1960s. Bandura's social learning theory stresses the importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling. William James: Psychologist and philosopher William James is often referred to as the father of American psychology. His teachings and writings helped establish psychology as a science. Among his many accomplishments was the publication of the 1,200-page text, "The Principles of Psychology," which quickly became a classic in the field. In addition, James contributed to functionalism and pragmatism. Ivan Pavlov: Ivan Pavlov was a Russian physiologist whose research on conditioned reflexes and classical conditioning influenced the rise of behaviorism in psychology. Pavlov's experimental methods helped move psychology away from introspection and subjective assessments to the objective measurement of behavior. Harry Harlow: Harry Frederick Harlow was an American psychologist best known for his maternal-separation, dependency needs, and social isolation experiments on rhesus monkeys, which manifested the importance of caregiving and companionship to social and cognitive development. Mary Whiton Calkins: An American philosopher and psychologist most noted for becoming the first woman to sit as president of both the American Psychological Association and the American Philosophical Association, Calkins focused her studies on memory, dreams, and association. Edward Thorndike: American psychologist Edward Thorndike is best known for his work in comparative psychology and the learning process. His theory of connectionism was founded on his pioneering clinical experiments with animal subjects. (Cat experiment). John B. Watson: American psychologist John B. Watson is noteworthy for establishing the psychological school of behaviorism, and for bringing scientific rigor to the field through experimental methodological behaviorism. Watson examined the motives behind observable human behavior in areas such as child rearing and susceptibility to advertisement. Watson is perhaps most noted, and notorious, for his highly controversial “Little Albert” experiments. |