Origins of Psychology

Question 1

Who is known as the ‘Father of Psychology?’

Answer 1

Wilhelm Wundt is known as the ‘Father of Psychology’ = initially started off from philosophical roots to now its controlled research

Question 2

What was Wilhelm’s role?

Answer 2

• set up first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879
• founded Institute of exoerimental psychology + published one of the first books on psychology = independent branch of science

Question 3

What did Wundt develop?

Answer 3

Wundt developed a scientific method to study mental processes e.g. structure of sensation + perception + emotional reaction = introspection

Question 4

What is introspection?

Answer 4

Introspection is the systematic analysis of one’s own internal thoughts/ conscious experience of a stimulus

Question 5

When was introspection used?

Answer 5

• introspection was used in highly controlled studies, in highly controlled environments
• established general theories about mental processes
• later identified higher mental processes (e.g. language, emotions, learning etc..) = can’t be studied in a controlled manned

His work led to development of the field of cultural psychology + based on general trends in behaviour in groups of people

Question 6

What are the ads of the emergence of psychology as a science?

Answer 6

• Wundt was the first to open a laboratory designated to the scientific study of psychological enquiry under controlled conditions = allowing accurate measurements + replication
• Wundt was the first psychologist to focus on understanding thepsychological processes of perception etc.rather than philosophical or biological processes
• Wundt later recognised that higher mental processes were difficult to study using his procedures + this encouraged others to look for more appropriate methods and techniques, paving the way for approaches such as brain scanning techniques

Question 7

What is a disad of the emergence of psychology as a science?

Answer 7

• Many modern psychologists argue that early behaviourists (e.g. Pavlov) made a greater contributionto the development of psychologyas 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 8

What is introspection?

Answer 8

Introspection is a reflection of one’s own thoughts/ a systenatic analysis of our own thoughtsb conscious experiences of a stimuli

An experience is examined in germs of its component parts e.g. feelings, images etc..

• with sufficient training an individual’s conscious mental processes, e.g. perception, could be objectively reported by the inidvidual as they occured = Wundt claimed
• he asked ppl to focus on everyday objects e.g. a metronome + encourage to look inwards + redlect sensations, feelings + images that came to mind = used to gain insight into mental processes involved in perception

Question 9

What are the ads of introspection?

Answer 9

• focus on mental processes through introsoection can be seen as the forerunner of the cogntiive approach
• introspection is still sometimes used in modern scientific psychological research + in areas sudh as therapy + studying emotionla states = demonstrates its value as one way mental processes can be investigated

Question 10

What is a disad of introspection?

Answer 10

• sgudies using introspection may not be valid = several aspects of out mind are outside of our conscious awareness + cannot be reported by an individual
• as this is based off of one individual, can’t generalise to wider population = quite biased