What is functionalism in psychology quizlet?
What is functionalism in psychology quizlet?
Functionalism is the doctrine that what makes something a thought, desire, pain (or any other type of mental state) depends not on its internal constitution, but solely on its function, or the role it plays, in the cognitive system of which it is a part. …
What are the example of structural functionalism?
Structural Functionalism is a macro theory that looks at how all structures or institutions in society work together. Examples of structures or institutions of society include: education, health care, family, legal system, economy, and religion.
What is the main focus of functionalism?
Functionalists sought to explain mental processes in a more systematic and accurate manner. Rather than focusing on the elements of consciousness, functionalists focused on the purpose of consciousness and behavior. Functionalism also emphasized individual differences, which had a profound impact on education.
What is the importance of neo-functionalism explain with special focus on J Alexander?
Neofunctionalism. In sociology, neofunctionalism represents a revival of the thought of Talcott Parsons by Jeffrey C. Alexander, who sees neofunctionalism as having five central tendencies: to create a form of functionalism that is multidimensional and includes micro as well as macro levels of analysis.
What is mechanistic functionalism in psychology?
Mechanistic functionalism, originally formulated and defended by Gualtiero Piccinini and Carl Gillett independently, augments previous functionalist accounts of mental states by maintaining that any psychological explanation must be rendered in mechanistic terms.
Why don’t functionalist theories allow for multiple realizability of mental states?
Thus, unlike standard versions of functionalism (often called Functional State Identity Theories ), FSTs do not allow for the multiple realizability of mental states, because the fact that mental states are realized by brain states is essential.
What is the functional specification theory in psychology?
Such Functional Specification Theories (FSTs) (Levin, ยง 3.4), as they are called, were most notably developed by David Lewis and David Malet Armstrong. According to FSTs, mental states are the particular “realizers” of the functional role, not the functional role itself.
Why is type physicalism incompatible with functionalism?
On this understanding, type physicalism can be seen as incompatible with functionalism, since it claims that what characterizes mental states (e.g. pain) is that they are physical in nature, while functionalism says that what characterizes pain is its functional/causal role and its relationship with yelling “ouch”, etc.
