origins of psychology Flashcards
What is psychology?
The scientific study of behaviour and mental processes
What is science?
A means of acquiring knowledge through systematic and objective investigation
What is the aim of science?
To discover general laws
What are the key features of science?
Must be definable subject matter/paradigm
Must be a theory constructed from which hypotheses are derived and tested
Must be falsifiable
Empirical methods- replicable
Must be general laws
Evaluation of scientific method
Tells little about how people behave in natural environment
Certain behaviours/thought processes that can’t be measured using scientific method
Knowledge acquired is accurate and produces facts
Allows cause and effect relationships to be established
Who opened the first psych lab?
Wilhelm Wundt
What is introspection?
A process by which a person gained knowledge about their own mental and emotional state through examination of their thoughts and feelings
How did Wundt carry our introspection?
Participants asked to write down all conscious thoughts, images and sensations in response to stimulus of a metronome. Pets asked to reflect on mental processes and feedback to Wundt with analysis. Done under controlled conditions
What are standardised procedures?
All ppts given same instructions and stimuli presented in same order
What was scientific about Wundt’s methods?
Standardised procedures, controlled conditions
What was unscientific about Wundt’s methods?
Relied on ppts self reporting techniques, so results are subjective
What approach became popular in the 1960s?
Cognitive
What approach became popular in the 1980s?
Biological
