Approaches: Origins Of Psychology

Question 1

Define Psychology.

Answer 1

• The scientific study of human mind and its functions, especially those functions affecting behaviour in a given context.

Question 2

Define Science.

Answer 2

• A means of acquiring knowledge through systematic and objective investigation.
• The aim is to discover general laws.

Question 3

Define Introspectium.

Answer 3

• The first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations.

Question 4

Wundt And Introspection.

Answer 4

• Wundt was the ‘founding father’ of psychology.
• Set up the first psychology lab in Germany in 1870s.
• Wundt’s objective was to document and describe the nature of human consciousness.
• Introspection: First to attempt to systematically and experimentally study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations.
• Wundt is known for the development of introspection and his approach can be described as structuralism by breaking down the structure of the mind.

Question 5

Strength: Evaluation - Methods Were Scientific.

Answer 5

• One strength is some of Wundt’s methods were scientific.
• For example, he recorded the introspections within a controlled lab environment and he standardised his procedures so that all participants received the same information and were tested in the same way.
• For this reason, Wundt’s research can be considered a forerunner to the later scientific approaches in psychology that were to come.

Question 6

Strength: Evaluation - Paved The Way For Later Controlled Research.

Answer 6

• Wundt’s work paved the way for later controlled research.
• For example, introspection lead to the study of mental processes by cognitive psychologists and cognitive neuroscience is one of the leading discipline in psychology at present.
• This shows that Wundt has made a great contribution to what we know as psychology in today’s society.

Question 7

Weakness: Evaluation - Some Aspects Of The Research Were Not Scientific.

Answer 7

• One limitation is that some aspects of the research were not scientific.
• Wundt relied on participants self-reporting their ‘private’ mental processes.
• Such data is subjective and participants may not have wanted to reveal some of the thoughts they were having.
• Therefore, Wundt’s early efforts to study the mind would not meet the criteria of scientific enquiry.

Question 8

Weakness: Evaluation - Focuses On Non-Observable Behaviour.

Answer 8

• Introspection focuses on non-observable behaviour.
• Wundt’s approach required participants to report on their conscious experiences which are unobservable constructs; processes like memory and perception are impossible to observe.
• This matters because Wundt’s approach lacks reliability as his results have not been reproduced by other researchers.

Question 9

Weakness: Evaluation - Lack Of Accuracy.

Answer 9

• Another criticism of introspection is its lack of accuracy.
• Nisbett and Wilson claim that we have little knowledge of what causes or contributes to our behaviours and beliefs.
• They found participants were unaware of the different factors that had been influenced their choice of consumer items.
• This suggests we are unable to observe our own thoughts and feelings.
• This means that some of our behaviour and attitudes exist outside of conscious awareness and that introspection would not uncover them.

Question 10

Psychology As A Science.

Answer 10

• Science is a means of acquiring knowledge through systematic and objective investigation.
• The aim is to discover general laws.
• Psychology has four forms:
  1) Description - tell us ‘what’ occurred.
  2) Explanation - tell us ‘why’ a behaviour or mental process occurred.
  3) Prediction - identifies conditions under which a future or mental process is likely to occur.
  4) Change - applies psychological knowledge to prevent unwanted behaviour and bring about desired change.

Question 11

The Emergence Of Psychology As A Science.

Answer 11

• Watson criticised introspection as he thought it was too subjective making it difficult to establish general principles as it varied among individuals.
• Watson believed for it to be truly scientific psychology should restrict itself only to studying things which can be observed and measured.