IVAN M. SECHENOV

Why is Ivan Sechenov important in psychology?

He founded Russian objective psychology and argued that behavior could be explained physiologically through reflexes.

What did Sechenov believe causes behavior?

What did Sechenov believe causes behavior?

What is Sechenov’s concept of inhibition?

Brain mechanisms can suppress or control reflexive responses.

Why was inhibition important to Sechenov?

It explained voluntary control, learning, and why responses are not automatic.

How did Sechenov demonstrate inhibition?

By stimulating frog brain areas that suppressed reflexes.

How did Sechenov view psychology?

Psychology should be studied objectively through physiology, not introspection.

Why is Sechenov important historically?

He helped bridge physiology and psychology and influenced Pavlov and behaviorism.

IVAN PAVLOV

Why is Ivan Pavlov important in psychology?

He discovered conditioned reflexes and helped establish objective behavioral research.

What major award did Pavlov receive?

The 1904 Nobel Prize for research on digestion.

What was Pavlov originally studying before conditioning?

Digestion and salivary reflexes in dogs.

What was the gastric fistula used for?

Observing digestive processes without harming the animal.

What is a conditioned reflex?

A learned reflex created through association between stimuli.

What observation led Pavlov to discover conditioning?

Dogs salivated before food appeared when they associated certain stimuli with feeding.

What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?

A stimulus that naturally produces a response (ex: food).

What is an unconditioned response (UR)?

The natural reflex caused by the US (ex: salivation to food).

What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?

A previously neutral stimulus paired with the US (ex: tone).

What is a conditioned response (CR)?

The learned response to the CS alone (ex: salivation to tone).

What is excitation in Pavlov’s theory?

Nervous system activity that promotes a response.

What is inhibition in Pavlov’s theory?

Nervous system activity that suppresses a response.

What is the cortical mosaic?

The shifting pattern of excitation and inhibition in the cortex that determines behavior.

What is extinction?

The weakening of a conditioned response when the CS is presented without the US.

What is spontaneous recovery?

The return of an extinguished conditioned response after rest.

What is disinhibition?

The temporary return of a conditioned response due to a strong unrelated stimulus.

What is experimental neurosis?

Behavioral breakdown caused by conflicting stimuli and confusion between excitation and inhibition.

What did Pavlov learn from experimental neurosis?

Stress and conflict can disrupt behavior and produce abnormal responses.

What is the first-signal system?

Direct conditioned responses to environmental stimuli.

What is the second-signal system?

Human use of language and symbols as conditioned stimuli.

Why is the second-signal system important?

It explains human language, abstract thinking, and symbolic learning.

How did Pavlov think psychology should be studied?

Through objective physiological methods, not introspection.

What did Pavlov reject in psychology?

Mentalism and introspection.

Why is Pavlov historically important?

He laid the foundation for behaviorism and experimental learning theory.

VLADIMIR M. BECHTEREV

Why is Vladimir Bekhterev important in psychology?

He developed reflexology, an objective approach to studying behavior through reflexes, competing with Pavlov’s conditioning theory.

What is Bechterev’s reflexology?

The study of behavior as a system of reflexes triggered by environmental stimuli.

How did Bechterev differ from Pavlov?

Bechterev emphasized motor reflexes and observable behavior; Pavlov focused on salivary conditioning and physiological reflexes.

What was the main rivalry between Bechterev and Pavlov?

Both claimed to explain learning and behavior through reflex systems, but used different methods and interpretations.

ALEXANDER LURIA

Why is Alexander Luria important?

He developed neuropsychology and studied how brain function relates to language and cognition.

What was Luria’s main focus?

Brain, language, memory, and higher cognitive functions.

LEV VYGOTSKY

Why is Lev Vygotsky important?

He developed sociocultural theory, emphasizing how learning is shaped by social interaction and culture.

What is Vygotsky’s main idea about learning?

Cognitive development happens through social interaction and language.

What is Vygotsky’s key concept?

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) — what a learner can do with help.

What unified Russian psychology contributions (Sechenov, Pavlov, Bechterev, Luria, Vygotsky)?

A focus on objective, scientific study of behavior and mind, moving from reflexes to higher cognition and social development.

JOHN B. WATSON

Why is John B. Watson important in psychology?

He founded behaviorism and shifted psychology toward observable behavior and conditioning.

What influenced Watson’s early psychology thinking?

Functionalism (Angell), physiology (Loeb), and animal research at Chicago.

What is Watson’s main idea in behaviorism?

Psychology should study observable stimulus–response behavior, not consciousness.

What are the goals of Watson’s psychology?

To make psychology the science of predicting and controlling behavior using observable data.

What methods did Watson use to study behavior?

Observation, conditioned reflexes, testing, and verbal reports (treated as behavior).

What are Watson’s four types of behavior?

1. Explicit learned (speaking) 2. Implicit learned (physiological conditioning) 3. Explicit unlearned (reflexes like blinking) 4. Implicit unlearned (internal bodily processes)

How did Watson explain thinking?

As subvocal speech (internalized speech movements).

How did Watson view language?

As learned behavior shaped by conditioning.

What did Watson believe about instincts?

He minimized their importance and emphasized learning and conditioning instead.

What ended Watson’s academic career?

A scandal involving his divorce and relationship with Rosalie Rayner.

What did Watson do after academia?

He worked in advertising, applying behaviorist principles to consumer behavior.

What did Watson reject in psychology?

Introspection, consciousness, and mental explanations.

How did Watson define thinking and language?

As subvocal (internal) speech, a form of observable behavior.

What did the Little Albert experiment show?

That emotions (fear) can be classically conditioned.

What was conditioned in Little Albert?

Fear of a white rat (and generalization to similar objects).

What is stimulus generalization?

When a learned response spreads to similar stimuli.

What did Little Peter demonstrate?

That fear can be unlearned through gradual exposure + positive association (counterconditioning).

What was Watson’s view on child rearing?

Children should be shaped through behavioral conditioning, reward, and punishment.

What did Watson warn against in parenting?

Excessive affection — it could make children emotionally dependent.

What was Watson’s view on sex education?

It should be early, factual, and scientific, not taboo-based.

How did Watson explain learning?

Through stimulus–response conditioning (associations formed by experience).

What did Watson believe about instincts?

They are largely unnecessary — behavior is mostly learned, not innate.

What is Watson’s position on the mind-body problem?

Mind is not a scientific concept; psychology should focus only on observable behavior.

Why is Watson important in psychology history?

He founded behaviorism, shifting psychology toward objective science.

What was Watson’s lasting influence?

Influenced behavior therapy, advertising, child psychology, and learning theory (e.g., Skinner).

WILLIAM MCDOUGALL

How did McDougall define psychology?

The study of behavior AND conscious mental life.

What did McDougall emphasize in behavior?

Behavior is purposive (goal-directed).

What drives behavior according to McDougall?

Instincts and emotional energy.

What is an instinct (McDougall)?

An innate, biologically based, goal-directed tendency to act.

What are the 3 parts of an instinct?

1. Cognitive (perception) 2. Emotional (feeling) 3. Behavioral (action)

Give an example of an instinct.

Fear → perception of danger → fear emotion → avoidance behavior.

What did McDougall criticize about Watson?

That behaviorism ignores emotion, purpose, and motivation.

What did Watson criticize about McDougall?

Instinct theory is unscientific and untestable.

What is the key difference between Watson and McDougall?

Watson = behavior is learned & mechanical McDougall = behavior is instinctive & purposeful

Watson vs McDougall in one line?

Watson = behavior is learned stimulus-response conditioning McDougall = behavior is instinct-driven, purposeful, emotional