APPROACHES-Origins of psycology Flashcards
What did Wilhelm Wundt do in 1873 and 1879
-1873 published his first book ‘‘principles of Physiological
psychology’’
-1879 he opened a psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany
What was Wundt’s approach?
To study the structure of the human mind by breaking down behaviours into their essential elements known as structuralism
Define introspection
The process where a person gains knowledge about their own mental and emotional state as a result of an examination or observation of their conscious thoughts and feelings
What is a strength of early psychology?
Introspection is still useful in some areas of psychology- it can be used to measure happiness (used in a study in 2003),Study asked teenagers to explain their thoughts and feeling at different points in the day so it still has some practical applications
What is a weakness of early psychology?
-Low external validity
-Can only be used for certain participants
-People with severe learning disabilities or animals cant use this method as they would be able to describe there their thoughts and feelings
-Method is not universally applicable or inclusive
Define Empiricism
The belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience
What is the scientific method?
The use of investigation methods that are objective, systematic and reliable and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses based on these methods
What methods are used in the scientific method?
-Ask a question
-State a hypothesis
-Conduct an experiment
-Analyze the results
-Make a conclusion
-Repeat
What are the 5 key features of the scientific method?
-Objectivity
-Reliability
-Empirical methods
-Hypothesis testing
-Falsifiability
Define objectivity
Being uninfluenced by personal opinions or past experience, being free of bias
Define reliability
The ability to repeat a study and achieve the same findings
Define Empirical methods
The phenomenon that can be observed and measured by testing scientifically
Define hypothesis testing
Stating a hypothesis and then testing it until it can be falsified
Define falsifiability
The possibility that a hypothesis can be proved wrong
Give a strength of the scientific method (objective, causes of behaviour, theories can be tested)
Accurate-objective and controlled studies, allows causes of behaviour to be identified, theories can be tested and modified
Give a limitation of the scientific method. (objectivity, naturally)
Objectivity does not allow people to behave naturally
What a weakness of the origins of psychology (Subjective)
-Subjective method of experimentation
-Experimental methods usually aim to be objective but it is subjective as they may be influenced by cognitive biases (eg. religion + upbringing)
-One person may experience a thought and think that it is negative whereas someone may have the same thought and view it as realistic
-Due to self-reporting data may differ even if the experience is the same
-This makes it ungernerealisbale, hard to replicate and unreabliabe
Give a strength of origins of psychology
-Therapies used to treat mental health conditions today use some ideas from introspection
-For example, psychodynamic therapy looks to find the root cause of your problems, introspection can help with this
-CBT also reflects on your current state, similar to introspection
-These therapies have been effective at treating mental health conditions
Give a limitation of the scientific method (low ecological validty)
P- Low ecological validity
E- focuses on being objective and is used in highly controlled environments
E-Tells us little about how people behave in their natural environments
L-Findings cannot be generalized to a real-life setting.
Give a limitation of the scientific method
-Unreliable
-Certain areas of human behaviour which cannot be observed
-Therefore cannot be measured using the scientific method
Give an advantage of the scientific method
-Icreased objectivity
-Knowledge acquired is accurate and produces facts
-Use of objective and controlled studies
Give an advantage of the scientific method
Same as origins
