Origins of psychology

Question 1

Who is Wilhem Wundt ?

Answer 1

• first person to be called a ‘psychologist’
• 1879- first psychology lab opened in Germany
• Beginning of scientifiic pyschology
• Structure of human consiousness - first attempt to study mind
• made introspection

Question 2

What is introspection?

Answer 2

• first systematic and experimental attempt
• studied mental processes e.g language + perception
• thoughts images response to sensations to a ticking metronome
• same order all ppts same instructions - structualism

Question 3

Evaluation of Wundt and introspection
(strength)

Answer 3

-Strengths:
- controlled experiement
- standardised procedures
- Forerunner to later sceintific approaches

Question 4

Evaluation of Wundt and introspection
(weakness)

Answer 4

Weakness:
- self-reporting becomes subjective data
- thoughts could be hidden
- difficult to establish meaningful laws of behaviour
- bias and social desirability

Question 5

Emergence of psychology as a science :

Answer 5

• 1900- Behaviourists
• scientific nature of introspection was being questioned
• subjective + varied data has no principles
• scientific investigation should only focus on whats seen and measured
• Dominated pyschology for 50 years
• 1950s - cogntive approach
• 1980s - biological approach

Question 6

Emergence of psychology as a science - evaluation (strengths)

Answer 6

• modern psychology claim to be scientific
• same aims as natural sciences
• learning,cognitive approach,biology rely on scientific methods

Question 7

Emergence of psychology as a science - evaluation (weaknesses)

Answer 7

• Not all approaches use scientific methods
• Pychodynamic uses case studies
• Humans are also active within research , demand charcteristics , social desirability and investigator effects