FIELD THEORY

Presented by: Marry Jane R. Sioson

September 12, 2015

CONTENTS

Field theory
Kurt Lewins Life Sketch
Lewins Field Theory
Edward Chase Tolmans Life Sketch
Tolmans Cognitive Field theory

FIELD THEORY
Field theory in psychology bears some relation to the notions of
fields in physics,
Field theory in psychology consider that an organism is affected
by factors in the field which surrounds it.
Proposed that behavior is the result of the individual and the
environment.
Had a major impact on social psychology

KURT LEWIN
Life Sketch (1890-1947)

Born in Mogilno, German

Received his Ph.D in psychology at
the University of Berlin in 1914.
In his early years he was associated
with the Gestalt Psychologist
Wertheimer and Kohler.
Began his early studies on
associations, which was a significant
departure from the Gestalt ideas.

CONTINUATION.
From the gestaltist, Lewin borrowed the concept of a field. This
was not the isomorphic brain field which they stressed, but an
environmental field containing one or more persons.
When Hitler came to power, Lewin left Germany and came to
the United States. He became a professor at Cornell University
from 1933-1935 and then was at the University of Iowa Child
Welfare Station for ten years.
In 1945 he was appointed professor and Director of the
Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology until hid untimely death the following year
at the age of 56.

LEWINS SYSTEM
Lewin considered to be a topological and vectoral psychology.
Topology- is a form of geometry in which the concepts of inside,
outside, and boundary are used.
However, his analogy to topology is rather superficial
Vectoral- describe resolution of forces
usually represented by an arrow
the length referring to the degree of force and the direction
allowing for the line of application.

THE LIFE SPACE

Was a psychological space in which the person moved. It
constituted the totality of facts that determined the behavior of
an individual at any one time.
Behavior was a function of the Life space
B= f L
The purpose of psychology was to determine the behavior of an
individual from all the psychological facts that existed in the life
space at any moment.

 Foreign bull - the facts that existed outside the life space.
The life space existed for the individual, and the individual
existed within the life space.
life space
quasi-physical, quasi-social, and quasi- conceptual.
Psychological construct,
one which was designed
to account for all the
events that influenced a
person at the time of
examination.

This is psychological rather than physical field, although in some

cases.

CONTINUATION
Life space could be divided into regions which were divided by
boundaries. Each region might constitute a psychological fact
was not merely an observable thing like a table instead they
could be a social or intellectual event or something simply
inferred.

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Situation of Boy Who Wants to be a Physician

DIMENSIONS OF BOUNDARIES
nearness-remoteness- In this figure establishing a practice and
becoming a physician as the goal were near, while college was
a more remote region.
firmness-weakness- passing an examination could be a difficult
task before allowing the person to move into the next region,
that of medical school. The number of regions in the life space
was determined by the number of facts that existed at any
particular time.

Situation of Boy Who Wants to be a Psychologist

THE PERSON

The person always existed in the life space and was usually designated by the letter P.
Like the life space it could be subdivided into interconnected and interdependent units as
indicated in the diagram below.
Motoric regions

Peripheral stratum
of the inner region

Central
stratum of
the inner
region

Diagram of a person, Showing the Inner-Personal and

Motoric Regions

 The outer part represented the perceptual-motor region, that

which had closest contact with the outside world. One perceived
and reacted to it.
There was an inner core called the inner-personal region. These
internal cells could be thought of as traits or psychological
characteristics.
As one grew older, one became more differentiated that is, one
developed more separate modes of acting. This was
represented by more inner cells. The new born was rather
undifferentiated and would have few inner-personal regions.

HODOLOGICAL SPACE
hodos meaning pathway.
For Lewin, the characteristics of a given path varied according
to the situation, and the direction depended on the properties of
the entire field.
Through Locomotion one might move from one region to another
according to a given pathway.
Ex. A college teacher might move from the region of instructor
through assistant and associative professor and finally to the
region of full professor.

Locomotion in Life Space

The figure shows the
path of locomotion from
region A to region G.
This could represent
planning a trip where
the regions B, D, and E
represented places one
might wish to visit
before achieving ones
final destination at G.
The regions of C and F were other possibilities which the person had chosen to ignore

LEVELS OF REALITY
Thus far we considered only a two- dimensional life space. This
was what Lewin called the level of reality. But there were levels
if irreality in which imaginary locomotion might take place.

Representation of Different Degrees of Reality

Representation of Different Degrees of Reality

R, more real level; I, more irreal level P, person. In a level of greater reality the barriers are
stronger and the person, P is more clearly separated from the environment

In the figure below the first level R,

one might be asked to join a fraternity/
sorority and move directly into the
appropriate region. The heavy line
could represent a barrier, perhaps
between the person and another
fraternity/sorority to which the person
was not invited.
The second level was usually one of
thinking or planning. The regions at
the second level were more flexible.
The third level, that of greatest
irreality might be pure fantasy.

THE TIME DIMENSION

Time Perspective in Planning

The figure represents the present and the future. Also, the two levels of reality was also
represented. The sequences of events started from left to right. The two levels of reality
came closer as one extended to the future. There was less differences between reality
and irreality as something planned was more nearly achieved.
In the first stage, Present the plan made the person nearer to the goal on the irreality
dimension but in the final stage.
Future reality and irreality were the same. The goal was reached in thought and act.

MOTIVATION
Lewins concept of motivation, which perhaps the crux of his
theories and the focus of most of its research, involved a
number of constructs;
Energy
Tension
Need
Valence
Force or Vector

 Energy
As in other theorist, Psychoanalysis for example. Lewin considered
a person as a complex energy system, and like Freud, he felt the
energy performed psychological work and was psychic rather than
physical.

Tension
simply stated, tension was a state of disequilibrium between a person
and the environment. It arose when there was lack of balance the forces in
his psychological environment.
One of the earliest examples to demonstrate tension and its reduction
was found in an experiment by Zeigarnik. She presumed that first , tension
were not relieved as would ordinarily occur if the task were completed, the
presence of tension would result in greater recall of the incomplete tasks.
The achievement of a goal relieved the tension.

 Back in her lab, Zeigarnik pursued

this idea and ran some experiments
(Zeigarnik, 1927) involving the
completion of various tasks or
puzzles. Some of the subjects
performing the tasks were interrupted,
then everyone was asked to describe
what tasks they had done. Ratio of
recalled unfinished tasks (RU) to
recalled completed task was 1:9
Like the waiters remembering what
orders still needed to go to what
tables, subjects were far more likely
to recall the tasks they had started but
hadnt completed.

 Needs
Needs gave rise to tension. Although Lewin preferred to keep his system of a purely
psychological level he did allow physiological conditions such as hunger, thirst and sex
might arouse tension, but there were other purely psychological needs. The desire to do
something, such as completing a task, could constitute a need.
A need was the result of some inner state in the tension system of a person, and it
was general. A quasi need was a more specific intention, such as watching a particular
TV show or a special restaurant.

Valence
referred to the particular attractiveness or repulsion of an object in the life space to
which we were attracted had positive valences and were indicated by a + sign. The
negative ones were indicated by a - sign. Some objects have no valence at all.

A person would tend to move through his or her life space in the direction of
positive valence. By contrast, those objects in a region in life space which
the person moved away from had negative valences.

Valences were coordinated with needs.

ex. If one were not hungry, food has no positive valence , but a very thirsty
person, a glass of beer might have a strong positive valence. Lewin considered
valence in a quantitative way. They could be strong, moderate or weak.

Life space may contain several regions likewise with valences existing at the
same time.
Ex. Two positive valences adient-adient conflict
Two negative valences avoidance-avoidance conflict

In moving through the life space toward a region with a positive valence one
might encounter a barrier, that is some object or event that obstructed the
movement. In this instances, it was possible for the barrier that is some
object or event that obstructed the movement.

Ex. Supposed we wished to enter a fashionable restaurant in front of which

stood a fancy dressed doorman. Because we did not have a reservation or were
improperly dressed, we were not allowed to enter. The doorman became a
barrier and took on a negative valence which drove us away.
(negative

valence

valence produced by a barrier on a positive

According to Lewinian theory, as the distance between a person

and an object is increased, the attractiveness of the valence is
decreased. On the other hand as a child came closer to a toy, its
positive valence is increased.
Another Lewinian hypothesis with regard to valence was that an
obstructed goal (introduced barrier) developed a stronger positive
valence for the object.
that is, the grass on the other side of the river looks greener

VECTORS OR FORCES

Force or vector constituted the push which directed a person toward a goal. The force
might be directed toward or away from the object and was correlated with the objects
valence. Force was not the same as tension for it was an aspect of the psychological
environment.
P

Three properties:
Direction, as toward or away from an object

Strength as correlated with the degree of attraction or repulsion of a valence

Point of contact

The longer the line, the greater the strength of the vector. In a conflcit situation there were two
opposing vectors.
P

CONFLICT
Approach-approach conflict the person
is placed in a situation in which a choice
must be made between two objects or
conditions both of which have equal
positive valence (=) and whose vectors
are pushing the person in opposite
directions.
Example: while dining at a restaurant a
person might have to choose either
chicken or steak, both of which are
equally desirable

Avoidance- Avoidance conflict, a choice must be made between two obejcts

or situations, both which have negative valences (-) or a person may be
pushed in opposite directions by two unequally unattractive or unpleasant
conditions.

example: supposed a boy is invited in a birthday party given by a girl

whom he dislikes, if he refuses to attend, his mother will spank him
severely.

Approach-avoidance conflict the obejct or situation has both positive and

negative valences at the same time, so the person is both attracted and
repelled by it.
example: One could be offered an attractive job, but its location is in the
middle of nowhere. Lobster is my favorite dish, but look on the menu, the
price is $25 per serving.

DIFFERENTIATION

Both Life space and inner-personal regions became more differentiated through time.

The adult had many more inner tensions system as well as more possible life space
regions. If a person regressed in his behavior, his personality became differentiated.

A research was conducted to children to measure differentiation through childs play.

Children are first placed in a free play situation where they where presented various toys.
They were allowed to play, and the general characteristics of their lay were rated as to age.
Then the children were introduced to a much elegant play situation. After playing in the new
situation a screen was lowered and the children returned to their original play setting. This
constituted a situation of frustration in which a barrier had been introduced. As a result of the
frustration, the regression represented a dedifferentiation of the personality.

LEWINS CONCEPTION OF THE INNER- PERSONAL

REGIONS OF A NORMAL AND RETARDED CHILD

Normal child has more cells, because she has developed more traits and behavioral
characteristics while the retarded child has fewer cells and the boundaries are firmer and
thicker indicates that there is less communication between the systems.

GROUP DYNAMICS

In his later years Lewin directed his attention to problems of social psychology.

Just as the person life space constituted the psychological field, the group and its
environment formed the social field. One of the fundamental characteristics of the social
field was the relative position of the members who constituted the group.

The group was subject to cohesive and disruptive forces. Disruptive forces arose out of
two strong barriers between members which hampered communication or out of conflict
between an individuals goals and those of the group.

When the relations between members were attractive, cohesive forces were operating, as
when the group was in a position to satisfy the needs of its members.

MIND AND BODY PROBLEM

Lewin was not concerned with the mind body problem in the same manner
as the earlier theorist. In his system the problem took much more
sophisticated form. Nevertheless, the system was dualistic. Life space was
both physical and mental. A clear distinction between the two was difficult to
make.

Further, Lewin delighted in using hypothetical, mentalistic constructs some

as psychic energy, tension systems, valence and vector. The vector was
some kinf of hidden force which somehow pushed a person towards a path.
Likewise, the tension states and needs were purely hypothetical. The
solution seemed to be one of psychophysical interaction, all of which took
place in a psychophysical life space.

TOLMANS COGNITIVE FIELD THEORY

Life Sketch 1886-1959

Started his career as an engineer,

studying at the M.I.T. however, he
changed to psychology and received his
Ph.D at Harvard in 1915.

May text on theories and systems in

psychology treat Tolman in chapters or
section devoted to behaviorism.

Tolman consider himself a purposive

behaviorist. However, as he began to
develop his ideas greater emphasis was
made on cognition-how the organism
perceives and knows.

Tolman was influences by a number of

theorist namely: Watson, Mcdougall,
Woodworth, Kurt Lewin and even
Sigmund Freud.

CONTINUATION..

He developed a distaste for Watsons behaviorism because he disliked

mechanistic behaviorism reductionistic perspectives He believed
individuals do more than merely respond to stimuli; they act on beliefs
attitudes, changing conditions and they strive toward goals.

His purposive behaviorism is often considered the bridge between

behaviorism and cognitive theory. Based on Tolmans theory of Sign
Learning and organism learns by pursuing signs to a goal that learning is
acquired through meaningful behavior.
Tolmans Theory has had a number of names, in addition to purposive
behaviorsm. These latter terms express how he viewed the ways an
organism learns.
For Tolman, learning was a cognitive matter a matter involving the whole
organism rather than a simple chain of reflexes.

TOLMANS SYSTEM

Tolman considered behavior to be purposive, That is, it was goal oriented.

The direction an organism depended on the perception of the goal and the
totality of the situation, along with the expectancies one developed with
regard to the situation.

LEARNING

He presumed an organism moved along a path guided by various stimuli

both internal and external. The alternative which Tolman proposed was that one
learned by signs. He put forth on the notion that there are three parts to
learning which work together as a gestalt. These are the significant or the goal
of the behavior, sign or signal for action, and means end relations which were
internal processes and relationships.

COGNITIVE MAP

A visual/spatial representation of the environment.

Tolman believed learning is an accumulation of these signs gestalt, and that they are then
configured, which is ongoing, also influences behavior in that in causes certain gestalts to
be selected or not, in relation to the individuals purpose or goals and other factors.

Reinforcement has more impact on performance than learning.

Experiments

The sunburst maze (after Tolman et al. 1946). Rats were initially trained on the maze
shown on the left. Rats were released at the starting point S and rewarded at the maze
end R. After training, the rats were tested on the maze shown on the right. The original
path out of the circular area was closed and forced the rats to select another arm. Rats
primarily selected arms oriented toward the original reward location.

Procedure

In their study 3 groups of rats had to find their way around a complex maze. At the end of
the maze there was a food box. Some groups of rats got to eat the food, some did not.

Group 1: Rewarded

Day 1 17: Every time they got to end, given food (i.e. reinforced).

Group 2: Delayed Reward

Day 1 - 10: Every time they got to end, taken out.

Day 11 -17: Every time they got to end, given food (i.e. reinforced).

Group 3: No reward

Day 1 17: Every time they got to end, taken out.

In the experiment, they found that most of the rats picked a tunnel close to the original
reward tunnel that led in the direction of the food, instead of one close to the original
reward tunnel. The evidence supported the idea that rats navigate using a mental map

But if the rats were navigated through stimulus response, Tolman reasoned that they would
choose the tunnel regardless of where it led, since that was closest to the stimulus with the
pay-off.

 Results

The delayed reward group learned the route on days 1 to 10 and formed a cognitive map
of the maze. They took longer to reach the end of the maze because there was no
motivation for them to perform. From day 11 onwards they had a motivation to perform
(i.e. food) and reached the end before the reward group.

CONCLUSION

This shows that between stimulus (the maze) and response (reaching the
end of the maze) a mediational process was occurring the rats were actively
processing information in their brains by mentally using their cognitive map.

Reinforcement has an impact on performance not on learning.

Learning may take place but not be revealed, without reinforcement. There is
a difference between acquisition and performance.

ANALOGY
How to go to PUP Graduate School if your way is
blocked?

SIX TYPES OF CONNECTIONS OR RELATIONS

CAN BE LEARNED
1. CATHEXES
Referred to an energy charge with which an actvity was invested. This was also
equivalent to Lewins concept of valence. It amounted to an acquired relationships
between a motivating situation and an object. Ex. A child developed a relationship
between hunger and an ice cream cone.
2. EQUIVALENCE BELIEFS
Here, an organism reacted to a sub-goal (secondary reinforcement) in the same
way it would to the actual goal.
3. FIELD EXPECTANCIES
These referred to the signs gestalt of the earlier statement.

4. FIELD COGNITION MODES

These were higher order modes of expectancy. They were dependent on
previously learned field expectations. This amounted to a readiness to acquire new field
expectancies in the areas of perception, memory and inference.
5. DRIVE DISCRIMINATION
Here. Tolman borrowed from Hull and Leeper. This involved of the movement,
such as whether an animal were hungry or thirsty involved the directions of its activity.
6. MOTOR PATTERNS
Because he was basically not an S-R theorist, Tolman, needed some principle to
account for his motor patterns, so he accepted Guthries account of conditioning by
contiguity.

INTERVENING VARIABLES

Tolman introduce intervening variables and defined it as inferred or non-observable

factors which intervened between the independent and dependent variables. For Tolman,
they constituted the determination of behavior. Example is the cognitive map.

KINDS OF INTERVENING VARIABLES:

1. the need system- inferred state of drive which could be physiological

and psychological.
2. belief value system referred to inferred motives or a kind of
preference for particular goal objects. As in Lewins theory, one could
the objects as having a kind of valence or strength.

consider

3. the behavior space was the space in which locomotion took place
toward the objects. It was very similar to Lewins life space. Objects in space
might attract or repel the organism. Thus, an object was perceived as it was
expected to be perceived.

Thank you!