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Instructors Manual (Lecture Notes Only) An Introduction to the History of Psychology Seventh Edition B.R. Hergenhahn Tracy Henley Prepared by Fred W. Whitford 1 / 4
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CHAPTER 1
Introduction
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After reading and discussing Chapter 1, students should:
1.1 Understand that there is no single definition of psychology that is accepted by all people.
1.2 Be familiar with the various activities that contemporary psychologists do.
1.3 Be acquainted with the idea of presentism and historicism and the approaches to writing history – zeitgeist approach, great-person approach, historical development approach, and eclectic approach.
1.4 Understand the reasons for studying the history of psychology.
1.5 Be familiar with the discussion of “what is science?”
1.6 Be acquainted with the views of scientific development of Popper and Kuhn.
1.7 Understand the issues involved in the science of psychology.
1.8 Be familiar with persistent questions in psychology including
- The nature of human nature
- How the mind and body are related
- Types of dualism
- Nativism vs. empiricism
- Mechanism vs. vitalism
- Rationalism vs. irrationalism
- Relationship between humans and nonhuman animals
- Origin of human knowledge
- Objective vs. subjective reality
- The problem of the “self”.
- Universalism vs. relativism
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CHAPTER OUTLINE
- Problems in writing a hostory of psychology
- Where to start
- What to include
- Chocie of approach
II. Why study the history of psychology?
- Deeper understanding
- A source of valuable ideas
IV. What is Science?
- The search for laws
III. Revisions in the traditional view of science
- Karl Popper
- Thomas Kuhn
- Paradigms and Psychology
- Popper versus Kuhn
IV. Is psychology a science?
- Determinism
- Indeterminism and Nondeterminism
- Persistent questions in psychology
A Mind and body
- Nativism versus empiricism
- Rationalism versus irrationalism
- How are humans related to nonhuman animals?
- What is the origin of human knowledge?
- Objective versus subjective reality
- The problem of the self
- Universalism versus relativism
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LECTURE TOPICS
- By this time the students in the class should have enough experience from other
classes in psychology that they have ideas regarding different ideas and concepts presented in the text. You may start the first day asking why we should study the history of psychology and then where to start and why.
- The students’ experiences should also give them ideas regarding what types of
questions psychology has always sought answers to. You might split the class into groups and give a topic – a question within psychology - and have each group lead a brief discussion regarding the topic.
- Students should spend some time comparing and contrasting what they think
psychology is and what the public thinks psychology is. Should the public’s view of psychology be changed? This should be done on the first day of class before lecturing or before they read the first chapter.
DISCUSSION TOPICS
- Discuss the choices that must be made before writing a history of psychology. Include
in your answer a distinction between presentism and historicism.
- What is gained by studying the history of psychology?
- Summarize the major characteristics of science.
- Discuss why psychology can be described both as a science and as a nonscience.
Include in your answer the characteristics of science that some psychologists are unwilling to accept while studying humans.
- In what ways did Popper’s view of science differ from the traditional view?
- According to Popper, what are the two primary reasons that theories such as those of
Freud and Adler are unscientific?
- Summarize Kuhn’s views on how sciences change. Include in your answer the
definitions of the terms preparadigmatic, paradigm, normal science, and scientific revolution.
- Within the realm of science, what is the correspondence theory of truth? Explain why
it can be said that Popper accepted this theory and Kuhn did not.
- Summarize Feyerabend’s view of science.
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