Approaches - Origins of Psychology Flashcards
When and where was the first lab dedicated to psychological enquiry established?
The first lab dedicated to psychological enquiry was opened by Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879.
What was the objective of Wundt’s work in his lab?
Wundt aimed to document and describe the nature of human consciousness through a method known as introspection. His goal was to break conscious thoughts into their constituent parts, a process called structuralism.
What is introspection, and how did Wundt use it?
Introspection involved Wundt and his co-workers recording their conscious thoughts with the aim of breaking them into their basic elements. This method sought to isolate the structure of consciousness.
How were Wundt’s methods controlled and scientific?
Wundt used standardized instructions and presented the same stimuli (e.g., ticking metronomes) to all participants under strictly controlled conditions. This allowed his experiments to be repeated (replicated) each time.
Why was Wundt’s work significant for psychology?
Wundt’s work marked the separation of modern scientific psychology from its broader philosophical roots.
What criticisms did John B. Watson have about introspection?
Watson criticized introspection for producing subjective data that varied greatly between individuals, making it difficult to establish general principles. He also rejected its focus on private mental processes and argued for studying observable and measurable phenomena instead.
What impact did Watson have on psychology?
Watson’s critique led to the emergence of behaviourism, which focused on observable behavior and marked the beginning of psychology as a science.
What is the legacy of the behaviourist approach in psychology?
The behaviourist approach introduced experimental methods into psychology, which continue to be a cornerstone of research today. Modern psychologists use these experimental methods to study learning and behavior.
How has the study of mental processes evolved since the 1960s?
Following the cognitive revolution, the study of mental processes became seen as legitimate and scientific. Psychologists now make inferences about internal processes using tools like fMRI and EEG.
How has technology advanced the study of mental processes?
Techniques such as fMRI and EEG allow researchers to investigate brain activity, making the biological approach central to studying psychological processes in a scientific manner.
