History and Epistemology of Psychology

Recommended Prerequisites

No prerequesites. A good enough knowledge of English is advised for further readings.

Teaching Methods

Expository method, supported by handouts (“Power Point” slides, available as PDF documents). Interrogative methods; oral or written reflection based on the presentation of audio-visual materials. Illustrative texts are discussed.

Learning Outcomes

Objectives:
To promote the knowledge about the history of Psychology and about the epistemological foundations of the development of scientific theories and constructs. To promote the reflection on the core issues of the process of scientification of psychology, and identifying the main authors, schools of epistemo-logical thought, as well as its application to current issues related to psychology.
Competencies:
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 as a whole, identifying the problems addressed, the methodolo-gies used, and dominant interpretations.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

History:
Philosophical influences on the emergenge of psychology; The influence of historic time and social-political agenda; the social "acceptance-refutation" of particular theoretical models (e.g., structural-ism; humanism; cognitivism; behaviorism; gestalt; social learning theories; psychoanalysis).
Epistemology:
1. Introductory questions: science knowledge:general features.
 Non-scientific  knowledge and pseudo-scientific knowledge
2. Theories in epistemology.(Popper,Lakatos,Kuhn )
3. General questions for debate: a) the nature and extent of scientific knowledge( concepts , catego-ries, and  language) .b)Disciplinarity,inter-disciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity in sciences nowa-days.The role of Psychology in this context.

Head Lecturer(s)

Rui Alexandre Paquete Paixão

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Exam: 100.0%

Bibliography

Cohen, D. (2015). Psychologists on psychology (Classic Ed.). London & New York:Routledge

Boyd, R., Gasper, P., & Trout, J.D. (Eds.). (1991).The philosophy of science. Cambridge, MA:MIT

Benjamin, L.T. (2014).A brief history of modern psychology. Wiley

Braconnier, A. (1998).Psicologia dinâmica e psicanálise. Lisboa:Climepsi

Danzinger, K. (1990).Constructing the subject. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press

Danzinger, K. (2013).Psychology and its history, Theory and Psychology, 23(6), 829-839

Goodwin, C.J. (2005).História da Psicologia moderna. São Paulo:Cultrix

Hothersall, D. (2006).História da Psicologia (4ªed.).McGrawHill

Jesuíno, J.C. (2002).Psicologia (3ª ed.), Lisboa:Quimera

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

Kuhn, T. (1962).The structure of scientific revolutions. Chicago:The University of Chicago Press

Popper, K. (1963).Conjecturas e refutações. Coimbra:Almedina.