Origins of Psychology

Question 1

A01

Define introspection

Answer 1

first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of throughts,images & sensations

Question 2

A01

Explain wundt role in psychology

Answer 2

Wundt opened first lab dedicated to psycholgical enquiry-wundts work marked the beginning of scientific psychology seperating it from its broader philosophical roots
Aim:
study human consciousness under controlled conditions his pioneer method-introspection

Question 3

A01

Outline Wundts objectives

Answer 3

Wundts main objectives was to develop theories about mental processes such as language & perception
He & co-workers recorded their experiences of various stimuli such as diff objects & sounds
divided their observations into 3 categories:
* Thoughts
* images
* sensations

Question 4

A01

Outline structuralism in Wundts research

Answer 4

structuralism-means isolating structures of consciousness
The stimuli that Wundt experienced were presented in same order & same instructions issued to P

Question 5

A03

Outline how Wundts research is scientific

Strength

Answer 5

Wundts methods were systematic & well controlled
All introspections were recorded in controlled enviroment of lab-ensuring extraneous variables not a factor
procedures were carefully standardised, so all p had same intructions & tested in same way
suggests wundts research can be considered forunner to late scientific approaches

Question 6

A03

Outline how Wundts research-unscientific today-self reporting

Limitation

Answer 6

Wundt relied on P self reporting their mental processes
such data is subjective
P might have hidden their thoughts
difficult to establish meaningful laws of behaviour from such data
suggests wundts efforts to study mind flawed