Approaches - The Origins Of Psychology Flashcards
Who was the first person to call themselves a psychologist?
Wilhelm Wundt
Why was Wundt important?
Because he separated psychology from philosophy.
How did Wundt believe the human mind could be studied?
Scientifically
When and where did Wundt establish a laboratory?
In Leipzig, Germany, in 1879.
What was Wundt’s aim?
To study the structure of the human mind.
What did Wundt believe was the best way to study the structure of the human mind?
To break down behaviours such as sensation and perception into their basic elements.
What was Wundt’s approach referred to as?
Structuralism
What technique did Wundt use?
Introspection
What was Wundt’s emphasis on?
Objective measurement and control.
Because of Wundt’s emphasis being on objective measurements and control, what aspects of behaviour did he study?
Only aspects of behaviour that could be strictly controlled under experimental conditions.
What did Wundt originally believe about all aspects of human experience?
That they could all be investigated experimentally.
What did Wundt eventually come to realise about higher mental processes?
That they could not be studied in a strict controlled manner.
Examples of higher mental processes.
Learning, languages and emotions.
How did he describe topics of higher mental processes?
Described in terms of general trends in behaviour among groups of people.
What did he refer to the field of study of higher mental processes.
Völkerpsychologie (cultural psychology).
Introspection
The process by which a person gains knowledge about their own mental and emotional states as a result of the examination or observation of their conscious thoughts and feelings.
What did Wundt think training in introspection would result in?
The ability to systematically observe mental processes such as memory and perception as they occurred.
Wundt research: in studies of perception what were participants resented with?
Controlled stimuli - visual images/auditory tones.
Wundt research: what were participants asked to provide a description of?
The inner processes they were experiencing in response and how they were perceiving it.
Wundt research: what could the information from the participants e used for?
To gain insight into the nature of mental processes. Made it possible to compare different participant’s responses to the sane stimuli, therefore establish general theories about mental processes.
Emergence of psychology as a science: When was scientific psychology born and what was it fostered by?
At the end of the 19th century - fostered by the life in empiricism.
Emergence of psychology as a science: What does all knowledge cone from and who put this into practice?
From observation and experience. By Wundt and his followers.
Emergence of psychology as a science: what two assumptions is scientific psychology based on?
All behaviour is caused and based on this, behaviour is predictable.
Emergence of psychology as a science: what can we do if we can discern the factors that affect behaviour?
Discern how people will behave in different conditions.
Scientific method
Refers to the use of investigative methods that are objective, systematic and replicable, and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses based on these methods.
The scientific cycle
Testing -> Objective, systematic and replicable observation -> Building, refining of falsifying -> Development of a scientific theory
Empiricism
The belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience. It is generally characterised by the use of the scientific method in psychology.
Objective
Assumptions and biases do not influence data collection.
Systematic
Variables are identified, controlled and accurate measures are made.
Replicable
Researchers can repeat the test to gain the same results.
What do replicable results do?
Build theories.
How are theories tested?
In the research cycle.
Positive of scientific approach to psychology: what does reliance on objective and systematic methods of observation mean?
That knowledge acquired using the scientific method is more than just passive acceptance of facts.
Positive of scientific approach to psychology: what does the scientific methods reliance on determinism mean?
That they are able to establish causes of behaviour through use of methods that are both empirical and replicable.
Positive of scientific approach to psychology: What can be done if scientific theories no longer fit the facts?
They can be refined or abandoned, meaning scientific knowledge is self-corrective.
Positive of scientific approach to psychology: What is a results of psychologists are always repeating other’s experiments?
That it is hard for theories that do not explain facts to hang on for very long.
Wundt’s methods were unreliable: What type of responses dis his approach rely primarily on?
Non-observable responses.
Wundt’s methods were unreliable: Although participants could report on conscious experiences, processes themselves (eg memory, perception) were considered to be what?
Unobservable constructions.
Wundt’s methods were unreliable: Why was method of introspection not reliable?
Introspective ‘experimental’ results not reliably reproducable by other researchers.
Wundt’s methods were unreliable: Who was already achieving reliably reproducible results and discovering explanatory principles easily generalised to all human beings?
Early behaviourists like Pavlov and Thorndike.
Introspection is not particularly accurate: what claim do most psychologists accept?
Nisbett and Wilson’s (1977) claim that we have very little knowledge of the causes of and processes underlying our behaviour and attitudes.
Introspection is not particularly accurate: what does Nisbett and Wilson’s claim challenge? Example?
The value of introspective reports. E.g. participants unaware of factors influencing choices or attitudes.
Limitations of Scientific approach to psychology: what do scientific psychologists create by concentrating on objectivity and control in observations?
Contrived situations that tell us very little about how people act in natural environments.
Limitations of Scientific approach to psychology: what is the consequence of much of the subject matter of psychology being unobservable?
That most of it cannot be measured with any degree of accuracy.
Limitations of Scientific approach to psychology: what is it probably true to say about psychology of all the sciences?
That it is the most inferential, i.e. there is a far bigger gap between the actual data obtained in research investigations and the theories put forward to explain this data.
Limitations of Scientific approach to psychology: what view do not all psychologist share?
That all human behaviour can be explored by the use of scientific methods.
Limitations of Scientific approach to psychology: what is true if human behaviour is not subject to the laws and regularities implied by scientific methods?
That predictions become impossible and these methods inappropriate.
Positive of introspection: it is still useful in scientific psychology. Who used it in 2003 and what did they do?
Csikszentmihalyi and Hunter used introspective methods as a way of making ‘happiness’ a measurable phenomenon. Teenagers had to write down thoughts and feelings at random times in day when a beeper went off. Most entries indicated teenagers were unhappy rather than happy. But when their energies were focused on challenging task, tended to be more upbeat.
