Approaches in psychology

Question 1

When and where did Wilhelm Wundt establish the first psychological laboratory?

Answer 1

Wundt established the first psychological laboratory in 1879 in Leipzig, Germany.

Question 1

Who is considered the Father of Psychology?

Answer 1

Wilhelm Wundt is considered the Father of Psychology.

Question 2

What was Wilhelm Wundt’s goal for psychology?

Answer 2

Wundt’s goal was to take psychology out of philosophy and establish it as a science in its own right

Question 3

What is introspection?

Answer 3

Introspection is a research method used by Wundt to understand the mind by examining sensations and feelings.

Question 4

How was introspection conducted in Wundt’s experiments?

Answer 4

Trained observers were presented with controlled stimuli (like a ticking metronome), and asked to describe how the stimuli made them think and feel.

Question 5

What were the conditions for participants during Wundt’s introspection experiments?

Answer 5

The same stimulus, physical surroundings, and instructions were given to each participant.

Question 6

How long could it take for researchers to report their inner experiences in Wundt’s introspection experiments?

Answer 6

Researchers could take as long as twenty minutes to report their inner experiences from a one-second experiment.

Question 7

What criticism did behaviourists have about Wundt’s research?

Answer 7

Behaviourists criticized Wundt’s research because it involved ‘private’ experiences like sensations and thoughts that were self-reported during introspection, which are not observable and difficult to measure.

Question 8

Why is the criticism from behaviourists considered a weakness of Wundt’s work?

Answer 8

the criticism undermines the objectivity of Wundt’s work, as the subjective nature of introspection is seen as less scientific.

Question 9

How did Wundt’s methods contribute to other psychological approaches?

Answer 9

Wundt’s methods are often seen as the start of cognitive psychology, a modern approach that attempts to measure mental processes using scientific methods.

Question 10

Why is Wundt’s contribution to cognitive psychology considered a strength?

Answer 10

Wundt’s methods have been incredibly influential to cognitive psychologists, and without his work, cognitive psychology might not exist today.

Question 11

How did Wundt contribute to psychology being considered a scientific discipline?

Answer 11

Wundt applied the scientific method to studying the mind, which helped psychology gain status as a scientific discipline.

Question 12

Why is Wundt’s work important for the status of psychology today?

Answer 12

Wundt’s establishment of the first psychology lab paved the way for psychology to be respected as a scientific discipline, separating it from its philosophical roots.

Question 13

What led to the development of the behaviourist approach?

Answer 13

Dissatisfaction with Wundt’s new scientific method led to the development of the behaviourist approach.

Question 14

What is the scientific method in psychology?

Answer 14

The scientific method refers to the use of investigative methods that are:

Objective (recorded without bias and not influenced by any other factors)
Replicable (should be able to be replicated exactly)
Controlled (should be under controlled conditions)
Predictable (the results should be used to predict future behaviour)

Question 15

How did Watson contribute to the scientific method in psychology?

Answer 15

Watson (1913), an early behaviourist, incorporated the scientific method into psychology by ensuring scientific processes were used to investigate observable behaviour rather than the mind.

Question 16

How did the behaviourist approach impact psychology?

Answer 16

The behaviourist approach focused on scientific processes involved in learning and the use of controlled lab experiments, which dominated psychology for five decades.

Question 17

Do modern psychologists use the scientific method?

Answer 17

Yes, many modern psychologists continue to rely on the scientific method to investigate human and animal behaviour.

Question 18

What are approaches in psychology?

Answer 18

Approaches are different viewpoints in psychology that have core beliefs called “assumptions.”

Question 20

What is an example of an assumption in the behaviourist approach?

Answer 20

An assumption of the behaviourist approach is that behaviour is learned.

Question 21

can all approaches agree on assumptions about behaviour?

Answer 21

No, different approaches in psychology have conflicting assumptions. For example, other approaches disagree with the behaviourist belief that behaviour is learned.

Question 22

What is a strength of modern psychology in relation to science?

Answer 22

One strength is that modern psychology can claim to be scientific, with research using methods similar to the natural sciences.

Question 23

Which approaches in psychology rely on scientific methods?

Answer 23

The learning approaches, cognitive approach, and biological approach all rely on scientific methods, such as lab studies, to investigate theories in a controlled and unbiased way.

Question 24

What are the aims of psychology compared to natural sciences?

Answer 24

Psychology, like the natural sciences, aims to describe, understand, predict, and control behaviour.

Question 25

Why is psychology being scientific considered a strength?

Answer 25

It suggests that throughout the 20th century and beyond, psychology has established itself as a scientific discipline.

Question 26

What is a limitation regarding the emergence of psychology as a science?

Answer 26

Not all approaches in psychology use objective measures.

Question 27

Which psychological approach rejects science?

Answer 27

The humanistic approach rejects science and focuses on individual and subjective experiences.

Question 28

How can studying human participants in psychology research be problematic?

Answer 28

Studying human participants can lead to demand characteristics, where participants may not respond objectively.