Chapter 1: Foundations

Introduction

Psychology is the science of the mind and behaviour.

The Mind consists of an individual’s sensations, perceptions, memories, dreams, thoughts, motives, feelings, and other subjective experiences, as well as the subconscious processes of knowledge. The mind controls the observable actions, behaviours of the individual.

Three Foundational Ideas

The three fundamental ideas of psychology are:

1. Behaviour and thinking have measurable physical causes.

2. Thoughts, behaviour and emotions are gradually modified by environmental influences.

3. The body is a product of evolution by natural selection.

1. Behaviour has Physical Causes

The Christian view of the human being consisted of two distinct but conjoined elements: the material body and the immaterial soul. This idea is called dualism.

Descartes and Dualism

Descartes concluded that the body was like a machine, capable of functioning on its own. The soul, therefore, must be responsible for all that differentiates the human being from the animal: specifically, human thought. He believed that the immaterial soul acts through the pineal body organ in the brain and sends information to the senses. This theory began to solidify the connection between body and mind, and suggest a physical source of behaviour.

Thomas Hobbes and Materialism

Thomas Hobbes did away with the concept of dualism, arguing that nothing exists beyond matter and energy. This philosophy is called materialism. He concluded that conscious thought was a product of the mechanics of the brain, and subject to the laws of nature. This mode of thinking inspired empiricism.

Physiology in the 1800’s

Working upon the idea that the body and brain are like a machine, a great deal of research into human physiology was undertaken in the 19th century.

Reflexes

In 1822, François Magendie demonstrated that the spinal cord consists of two directional nerve systems – one bringing information to the brain and the other sending instructions out to the limbs. After this discovery, scientists began to learn more about reflexes, even suggesting that all behaviour (even voluntary) might occur through reflex. This philosophy is called reflexology. This idea inspired Ian Pavlov to begin his studies on reflexes and behaviour.

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