Approaches -> Origins Of Psychology (mocks)

Question 1

Who was Wilhelmina Wundt [A01]

Answer 1

• Known as the Father of Psychology, Wundt created the first Psychology laboratory in Leipiz, Germany 1889
• He aimed to document and describe the nature of human consciousness; a method called introspection and promoted it as a way of studying mental processes
• Wundt and colleagues recorded their own conscious thoughts and aimed to break them down into their individual parts, structuralism

Question 2

Process of Introspections [AO1]

Answer 2

All introspections were recorded under strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus

-Participants would report their experiences and Wundt would objectively analyse the,

-Wundt used controlled methods which are still considered scientific today, despite most of his work being considered naive and invalid

Question 3

Psychology as a Science (Watson 1913)

Answer 3

• 20th century: Introspections was questioned by many including Watson (1913), who argued that data produced was too subjective
• He believed psychology should only study things that can be measured and observed -> The behaviourist approach was born from this

Question 4

Psychology as a science (1960s +) [AO1]

Answer 4

From the 1960s, studying mental processes was regarded as a highly scientific area
Uses recent technology such as fMRI and EEG techniques

Question 5

What is introspection [AO1]

Answer 5

Introspection is a method used to explore and analyse an individuals conscious experience by examining their thoughts and feelings