Essay Questions
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1. To what extent in the twenty-first century is it permissible to talk legitimately about the role of ‘the mind’ in psychology? How do you think that your response to this question may have varied across the course of the last 150 years?
2. Compare the influence in psychology of each of the ‘independent’ thinkers cited in this chapter: Ebbinghaus, Galton, Piaget and Freud. Which of these individuals do you think has been more influential in (a) academic psychology and (b) ‘folk’ or ‘everyday’ psychology (for example, as discussed by ‘people in the street’), and why?
3. Drawing on examples from this chapter, provide two examples where you think that psychologists have provided greater insight into human nature than your grandmother. Are there any cases based on your own experience where you believe that your grandmother’s view may be more insightful than the views of professional psychologists?