Lesson 1: Origins Of Psychology

Question 1

Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 1

• Wilhelm Wundt known as ‘father of psychology’ as he moved psychology away from its philosophical roots to controlled research. He set up the first psychology laboratory in Liepzig, Germany in the 1970s.
• Wundt founded 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.

Question 2

Introspection

Answer 2

• Wundt developed a scientific method to study mental processes, such as the structure of sensation and perception. He called this method introspection which is a systematic analysis of one’s own conscious experience of a stimulus. An experience was analysed in terms of its components parts e.g. sensations, emotional reaction etc.

Question 3

How is introspection used?

Answer 3

• Used in highly controlled studies
• Enabled Wundt to establish general theories about mental processes
• His work paved the way for later controlled research and the study of mental processes e.g. by cognitive psychologists. However, Wundt later identified higher mental processes (such as learning, language, emotions etc.) that could not be studied in a strictly controlled manner.

Question 4

Strengths of emergence of psychology as a science

Answer 4

+ Wundt was the first to open a laboratory designated to the scientific study of psychological enquiry under controlled conditions facilitating accurate measurements and replication.

+ Wundt was the first psychologist to focus on understanding the psychological processes of perception etc. rather than philosophical or biological processes

+ 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

Question 5

Weakness of emergence of psychology as a science

Answer 5

• Many modern psychologists argue that early behaviourists (e.g. Pavlov) made a greater contribution to the development of psychology as a science than Wundt did. They produced reliable findings, which Wundt did not, with explanatory principles that were generalisable - much more in keeping with the scientific approach.

Question 6

Introspection (AO1)

Answer 6

• 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.
• 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. For example, Wundt would ask people to focus on an everyday object and encourage them to look inwards and reflect on the sensations, feelings and images that came to mind. This information could then be used to gain insight into the mental processes involved in perception.

Question 7

Strengths of Introspection

Answer 7

+ Focus on mental processes such as introspection can be seen as the forerunner of the cognitive approach
+ Introspection is still sometimes used in modern scientific psychological research and in areas such as therapy and studying emotional states. This demonstrated its value as one way mental processes can be investigated.

Question 8

Weakness of introspection

Answer 8

• 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, 1977) and so cannot be reported by an individual.