ORIGINS OF PSYCHOLOGY Flashcards
what allowed psychology to be accepted as a science
psychologists adoption of the methods of natural sciences such as biology.
who was the first individual known as a psychologist and also the first individual to create the first experimental lab
wilhem wunt
what was wunts method of studying behaviour known as. the method where he broke down behaviours into basic elements
introspection + structuralism
what did wundt realise later on in his studies
he first believed that all aspects of human experiences could be investigated experimentally, but he eventually realized that higher mental processes such as learning language and emotions. couldn’t be studied in this controlled manner
what is introspection?
the process by which a person gain knowledge about his or her own mental and emotional state. allowing us to observe the inner world of the self.
give an example of a question that would cause a participant to partake in the method of introspection
“what mental processes were you experiencing as you looked at this?”
what do empiricists believe
they believe that knowledge comes from observation and experience alone (rather than being innate)
how did empirical methods change psychology
when empirical methods were first applied to the study of human beings by Wundt, psychology began to emerge a distinct entity.
describe the two new assumptions of scientific approaches to psychology
this new approach to psychology was based on two major assumptions. first, all behavior is seen as being caused (determinism) second if behavior is determined then it should be possible to predict behavior (predictability) the method used to explore these methods became known as the scientific method.
describe and explain the scientific method in psychology
the use of investigative methods that are objective, systematic, and replicable. it is objective as researchers dont let preconceived ideas of biases influence collection of data. it is systematic as observations are carried out in an orderly way. and finally its replicable so future generations can repeat the processes
why does the method of introspection lack reliability
the problem with introspective methods is that it produce subjective data meaning that results vary from participants so results cannot be generalized to everyone. As well as this the mental processes cannot be observed so reactions may be exaggerated and therefore making each person’s results standardized.
