4. Approaches (Origins of Psychology)

Question 1

Who introduced scientific psychology?

Answer 1

Wundt (1879)

Question 2

What is introspection?

Answer 2

A psychological process that studies the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations

Question 3

Describe Wundt’s standardised procedures

Answer 3

• Participants recorded experience of various stimuli presented with e.g objects or sounds
• Observations were divided into 3 categories: thoughts, images, sensations

Question 4

What is structuralism?

Answer 4

The attempt to understand the structure and characteristics of the conscious/mind

Question 5

AO3 for Wundt and introspection

Answer 5

1. Scientific
Methods were systematic and well-controlled, all introspections recorded in controlled environment of lab, extraneous variables not a factor, procedures and instructions standardised so all received same information and tested in same way, research considered forerunner to later scientific approaches

2. Subjective data
Considered unscientific today, relied on patients self-reporting their mental processes which is subjective, participants may have hidden some thoughts, some of Wundt’s efforts flawed and does not meet scientific criteria

Question 6

AO3 for psychology as a science

Answer 6

1. Modern Psychology
Research in modern psychology can claim to be scientific, psychology has same aim as natural sciences e.g describe, understand, predict behaviour, learning approaches rely on use of scientific methods, psychology established as scientific discipline

2. Subjective data
Not all approaches use objective methods, humanistic approach rejects scientific approach, focuses on individual and subjective experience, subject of study (human beings) are active participants in research, scientific approach not desirable or possible