History and Epistemology of Psychology

Teaching Methods

Theoretical component – lectures.

TP – illustrative texts are discussed.

Learning Outcomes

The main purpose of this unit is to promote knowledge about the history of Psychology. The Epistemology module is divided into a reflection on the core issues of the process of scientification of psychology, and identifying the main authors, schools of philosophical epistemological thought. The theoretical skills to develop include:

- To identify, on the broad context of the development of psychology as a scientific discipline, social and theoretical influences contributing to the development of Psychology and/or to the refutation of some theoretical approaches;

- To characterize and situate chronologically significant moments of the development of scientific Psychology;

- To identify the problems addressed, the methodologies used, and dominant interpretations;

- To recognize the most significant currents of epistemology and the authors associated with them (Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos...) and to reflect on its application to current issues related to psychology.

Theoretical skills:

- To know fundamental classical and contemporary currents of thought within Epistemology.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1.Introduction:
-Philososophical influences(empiricism, associationism, rationalism, romanticism);Neuroph. influences
2.The beginning of Psych. in Germany
- Wundt;Titchener; Leipzig /Wurzburg;Gestalt in Germany (Wertheimer, Köhler).
3.Psych.in the United States
- Functionalism movement;The beginning of behaviorism;Theories of social and cognitive learning;
4.Mental illness and the beginning of Psychoanalysis:
- Early treatment of mental illness:New approach to the unconscious.
5.Experimental study of intelligence:Binet;
Epistemology:
I.Introductory consid. about the epist.,Science and scientific Psych..The issue of hegemonic power of the dominant current in psych..
1.1.Basic Notions in Epist.: work reports and definition of concepts (e.g. epist., induction, deduction, verification, falsification)
1.2.Themes, authors, schools of epistemology:
II.What is Science ?
III.Sources of knowledge in Science and Psych..
IV.Scientific method.
V.Science and Pseudo-Science

Head Lecturer(s)

Maria Teresa Mesquita Carvalho Sousa Machado

Assessment Methods

Final
Exam: 100.0%

Periodic
T. – Exam : 50.0%
TP - Midterm exam (or Synthesis work) : 50.0%

Bibliography

Goodwin, C. J. (2005). História da Psicologia Moderna (2ª ed.) São Paulo: Cultrix.

Hothersal(2006). História da Psicologia. 4ª ed. São Paulo: MacGraw-Hill.

Hock, R. R. (1995). Forty studies that changed psychology: explorations into the history of psychological research.N. J.: Prentice Hall.

Jansz, J. & van Drunen, P. (2004). A social history of psychology. Malden: Blackwell.

Leahey, T. H. (1994). A history of modern psychology, 2nd ed., N. J.: Prentice-Hall.

Koch, S., & Leary, D. E. (1995). A century of psychology as science. Washington: APA.

 (Obras de ref. de Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn e Imre Lakatos)

Campbell, D.T. & Overman, S., Eds. (1988). Methodology and epistemology for social science: selected papers. Chicago: The Uni. Chicago Press.

Goldman, A.I. (1998). Epistemology and cognition. Cambridge, MA : Harvard Univ. Press.

Radnitzky, G.; Bartley, W. W.,Eds. & Popper, K., Contributor (1993). Evolutionary epistemology, rationality, and the sociology of knowledge. Open Court Publis. Company.