Origins Flashcards
Who opened the first ever lab dedicated to psychological enquiry?
Wilhelm Wundt
What objective did Wundt set himself?
To document and describe the nature of human consciousness known as Introspection
What is introspection?
The first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts images and sensations.
What were the positives of Wundt’s work?
All introspections were recorded under strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus every time.
He also used the same standardised instructions with all participants allowing procedures to be replicated.
Who questioned introspection?
Behaviourist John B Watson
What was Watson’s issue with Introspection?
He said it produced data that was subjective in that it varied greatly from person to person, so it was difficult to establish general principles.
What was the cognitive revolution?
IN the 1960s the introduction of the digital computer gave psychologists a metaphor for the operations of the human mind.
It reintroduced the study of mental processes but in a much more scientific way than Wundt.
What approach became dominant in the 1980s?
The biological approach due to the advances in technology that led to increased understanding of the brain and biological processes.
What is the most recent discipline?
Cognitive neuroscience, it brings together cognitive and biological approaches. It is more advanced using scanning techniques such as fMRI and EEG
