L1 - Origins of Psychology Flashcards
who is WILHELM WUNDT?
WILHELM WUNDT is known as the FATHER OF PSYCHOLOGY as he moved psychology away from its philosophical roots to controlled research.
He set up the FIRST PSYCHOLOGY LABORATORY in LEIPZIG, GERMANY in the 1870s. He also established the INSTITUTE OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY and published one of the first books on psychology, helping to establish the subject as an independent branch of science
what was the scientific method that WUNDT developed to study mental processes?
WUNDT developed a scientific method to study mental processes such as the STRUCTURE OF SENSATION AND PERCEPTION. He called this method INTROSPECTION.
what actually is INTROSPECTION?
INTROSPECTION is a SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS of one’s own conscious experience of a stimulus. An experience was analysed in terms of its component parts e.g sensations, emotional reaction etc.
how was INTROSPECTION used?
introspection was used in HIGHLY CONTROLLED STUDIES, the use of controlled environments enabled WUNDT to establish GENERAL THEORIES about MENTAL PROCESSES. His work paved the way for LATER CONTROLLED RESEARCH and the study of mental processes.
However, Wundt later identified HIGHER MENTAL PROCESSES (such as learning, language, emotions etc) that could not be studied in a strictly controlled manner.
what did WUNDT’s work lead to?
Wundt’s work led to the development of the field of CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, based on GENERAL TRENDS IN BEHAVIOUR OF GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
(emergence of psychology as a science evaluation) + WUNDT’S LAB
+ WUNDT was the first to open a laboratory designated to the SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF PSCYHOLOGICAL ENQUIRY under CONTROLLED CONDITIONS facilitating ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS and REPLICATION
(emergence of psychology as a science evaluation) + CHANGING FOCUS
+ WUNDT was the first psychologist to focus on understanding the PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF PERCEPTION etc, rather than philosophical or biological processes
(emergence of psychology as a science evaluation) + DIFFICULT TO STUDY
+ WUNDT later recognised that higher mental processes were DIFFICULT TO STUDY using his procedures and this encouraged others to look for MORE APPROPRIATE METHODS and TECHNIQUES, paving the way for approaches such as BRAIN SCANNING TECHNIQUES
(emergence of psychology as a science evaluation) - MORE INFLUENTIAL ALTERNATIVES
- Many modern psychologists argue that EARLY BEHAVIOURISTS (e.g PAVLOV) made a GREATER CONTRIBUTION to the DEVELOPMENT OF PSCHOLOGY as a SCIENCE than WUNDT did.
They produced RELIABLE FINDINGS, which WUNDT didnt, with EXPLANATORY PRINCIPLES that were GENERALISABLE - much more in keeping with the scientific approach.
what is introspection?
introspection is a SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS of our own CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCES OF A STIMULI.
An experience is examined in terms of its component parts e.g sensations, feelings, images etc.
how did WUNDT apply introspection?
Wundt claimed that with SUFFICIENT TRAINING, an individual’s conscious mental processes, such as PERCEPTION, could be OBJECTIVELY REPORTED by the individual as they occurred.
E.g - Wundt would ask people to focus on a everyday object and encourage them to LOOK INWARDS and REFLECT ON THE SENSATIONS, FEELINGS AND IMAGES that came to mind.
The information could then be used to GAIN INSIGHT into the mental processes involved in perception.
(evaluation of introspection) +COGNITIVE APPROACH
+ focus on mental processes through INTROSPECTION can be seen as the FORERUNNER OF THE COGNITIVE APPROACH
(evaluation of introspection) + USED IN MODERN RESEARCH, HUNTER ET AL
+ Introspection is still sometimes used in MODERN SCIENTIFIC PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH (HUNTER et Al) and in areas such as THERAPY and studying EMOTIONAL STATES. This demonstrates its value as one way mental processes can be investigated
(evaluation of introspection) - LACKS VALIDITY, NISBETT AND WILSON
- studies using introspection may not be valid. Many psychologists would argue that several aspects of our mind are OUTSIDE OF OUR CONSCIOUS AWARENESS (e.g research by NISBETT AND WILSON) and so cannot be reported by an individual
