How to investigate the Mind?How to investigate the Mind?

Ask your subjects (Introspectionism)Ask your subjects (Introspectionism) First-Person Privileged AccessFirst-Person Privileged Access

Introspection is not just casual thinking about one’s inner experiences.

Edward Titchener(1867-1927)

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)

First psychology lab, Leipzig

Assets of IntrospectionismAssets of Introspectionism

It deals with the subjective feeling of mental life It deals with the subjective feeling of mental life ((qualiaqualia))

Even today, some research depends on subject’s Even today, some research depends on subject’s introspective report (do you see the light?)introspective report (do you see the light?)

It provides hints for future researchIt provides hints for future research– articulatory loop in working memoryarticulatory loop in working memory

Problems of Introspectionism:

Instrospectionism lacks verification (public scrutiny)

Relies on conscious report: Many interesting mentalevents are unconscious (e.g. memory retrieval, or visualprocesses that lead to perceptual illusions).

Provides access to products of thinking, rather than the processes that underlie it (example).

Verbal report distorts and impoverishes the experience

How to investigate the mindHow to investigate the mind

Ask your subjects (Introspectionism)Ask your subjects (Introspectionism)

Look at S-R patterns (Behaviorism)

- Restricts psychology to truly objective, observable data

- Reaction against Instrospectionism

1900 1950 2000

Introspectionism

Behaviorism

CognitivePsychology

Behaviorism

Stimulus

Response

Study stimulus-response relations, but do NOT attempt to understand unobservable mental processes

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

Classical ConditioningClassical Conditioning

Neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus that Neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus that already produces a responsealready produces a response

1.1. sight of foodsight of foodsalivationsalivation

3. bell and food seen together3. bell and food seen together

4. bell4. bell salivation salivation

Behaviorism Behaviorism Psychology is the “science of behavior.” Psychology is the “science of behavior.” Emphasis on what can be Emphasis on what can be directly directly

observedobserved..– Stimuli Stimuli Responses Responses– Reinforcements / RewardsReinforcements / Rewards

Ignore the mind (unobservable).Ignore the mind (unobservable). Goal: predict behaviorGoal: predict behavior

Assets of BehaviorismAssets of Behaviorism

rigorous scientific observation rigorous scientific observation controlled laboratory settings. controlled laboratory settings. Applicable to certain areas (e.g., Applicable to certain areas (e.g.,

learning: pairing of stimuli and learning: pairing of stimuli and responses)responses)

Problems with Problems with BehaviorismBehaviorism

Limiting science to observable things is a Limiting science to observable things is a bad idea. Theories bad idea. Theories areare about unobservable about unobservable

Can’t account for much of human behavior.Can’t account for much of human behavior.– Language; AttentionLanguage; Attention

X

this ability cannot be explained only by links between stimuli and responses. A better explanation is to pose the existence of an internal spatial map

later they can deduce the shorter path.

Rats learn to follow this path …

X

Cognitive Maps in BeesCognitive Maps in Bees, , von Frisch von Frisch 19671967

behavior of bees returning to behavior of bees returning to hive after locating nectarhive after locating nectar

Can use a symbolic form of Can use a symbolic form of communicationcommunication

Different patterns of dances Different patterns of dances represent different meaningsrepresent different meanings

Round danceRound dance: source less than 100 : source less than 100 yards from hiveyards from hive

Figure 8 danceFigure 8 dance: greater distances: greater distances

Behaviorism

Stimulus

Response

Study stimulus-response relations, but do NOT attempt to understand unobservable mental processes

Cognitive Psychology

Stimulus

Response

Study stimulus-response relations to infer the underlying mental processes. The contents of the mind CAN be studied scientifically

How to investigate the mindHow to investigate the mind Ask your subjects (Introspectionism)Ask your subjects (Introspectionism)

Look at S-R patterns (Behaviorism)Look at S-R patterns (Behaviorism)

Infer mental processes (Cognitive Infer mental processes (Cognitive Psychology)Psychology)– from S-R patterns (Reaction Time, Accuracy)from S-R patterns (Reaction Time, Accuracy)– from neural patterns (cognitive from neural patterns (cognitive

neuroscience) neuroscience)