History and Theory chapter 9

Question 1

Voluntarism

Answer 1

-The name that Wundt gave to his approach to psychology was voluntarism because of its emphasis on will, choice, and purpose
-Voluntarism, then, was psychology’s first school— not structuralism, as it is often claimed

Question 2

Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt (1 of 8)

Answer 2

Psychology’s Goal:
-was to understand both:
-simple (basic processes of the mind) and
-complex (higher mental processes) conscious phenomena.
-For simple phenomena, experimentation was to be used; however, for complex phenomena experimentation could not be used.
-Only various forms of naturalistic observation could be used there.
-learning about simpler conscious processes was vital to understanding the more complex processes.

Question 3

Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt (2 of 8)

Answer 3

Two types of experience:
-mediate experience where data is obtained via measuring devices and thus not direct (other sciences).
-immediate experience where data are events in human consciousness as they occur.
-this was to be the subject matter of psychology.
Goals for Wund’ts Experimental Psychology:
-1: Discover the elements of thought
-2: Discover the laws by which mental elements combine into more complex mental experiences.

Question 4

Mediate experience

Answer 4

Where data is obtained via measuring devices and thus not direct (other sciences).

Question 5

Immediate experience

Answer 5

Where data are events in human consciousness as they occur.
-This was to be the subject matter of psychology.

Question 6

Goals for Wundt’s Experimental Psychology

Answer 6

1) Discover the elements of thought
2) Discover the laws by which mental elements combine into more complex mental experiences.

Question 7

Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt (3 of 8)

Answer 7

Methodologies employed.
-Some experimentation but primarily introspection
-Wund’t clarified 2 types of introspection.
-pure introspection: unstructured self-observation
-experimental introspection: aiming to be more structured
-Wundt’s introspection used laboratory instruments to present stimuli
-In most instances the subject was to respond with a simple response such as saying “yes” or “no,” or pressing a key.
-These responses were made without any description of internal events.
-Used to study immediate experience but not the higher mental processes.

Question 8

Willhelm Maximilian Wunt (4 of 8)

Answer 8

Two basic types of mental experience
Sensations:
-Sensations occurred when a sense organ is stimulated, and the impulse reaches the brain.
Described in terms of:
-Modality – color as an example: saturation or richness in a modality.
Intensity – how loud or soft a stimulus may be
Feelings:
-Accompanied sensations and could be described along three dimensions (tridimensional theory)
-Pleasantness–unpleasantness
-excitement–calm
-strain–relaxation

Question 9

Two basic types of mental experience
-Sensations:

Answer 9

-Sensations occured when a sense organ is stimulated, and the impulse reaches the brain.
-Described in terms of:
Modality – visual auditory, taste. etc
Quality – color as an example: sauration or richness in a modality.
Intensity – how loud or soft a stimulus may be

Question 10

Two basic types of mental experience
Feelings:

Answer 10

Accompanied sensations and could be described along three dimensions (tridimensional theory)
-Pleasantness – unpleasantness
-excitement – calm
-Strain – relaxation

Question 11

Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt (5 of 8)

Answer 11

-Sensations and feelings are elements of consciousness, sure, but they rarely happen in isolation
-Experienced simultaneously through perception.
-perception is a passive process governed by:
-the physical stimulation of the present.
-the anatomical makeup of the person.
-the person’s past experiences.
The interaction of these factors make up the person’s perceptual field.
-Apperception and selective attention are the same
-Apperception is active and voluntary, hence the school called voluntarism.