Origins of Psychology Flashcards
Role of Wundt in emergence of psychology as a science
- 1879 = opened 1st psych lab (germany)
- aimed to analyse nature of human consciousness = using introspection
- use of standardised procedures and structuralism
Introspection and structuralism meaning
I = first systematic experimental attempt to study mind
- break up consciousness into basic structures of thoughts, images, sensations
S = way in which structure (of consciousness) is isolated
- same stimuli, presented in same order, with same instructions to pps
science definition
= way knowledge is acquired through systematic/objective investigation
aim = discover general laws
What approaches have contributed to Psychology becoming a science?
- 1900s Behaviourists
= study of obectively observable and measurable phenomena - 1950s Cognitive
= use of lab experiments to test predictions, and likening mind to computer - 1980s Biological
= use of brain scanning techniques to study live brain activity, genetic testing
Eval Wundt’s work
Pros;
- use of some systematic/scientifc/well-controlled methods, e.g. introspection and structuralism
= consider Wundt as forerunner to later scientific psychology approaches
Cons;
- subjective data
= consider as unscientific today
= reliance on pps self-report = difficult to establish general laws of behaviour from such data
Eval of Psychology as Science
Pros;
- modern psychology
= evidence for being scientific
- shown through the 3 aproaches
= established as scientific discipline
Cons;
- use of subjective data
e.g. in humanistic and psychodynamic approach
- human pps = demand charateristics
= not always possible to study scientifically
Approaches timeline
1879 = Wundt
1900 = Frued PSYCHODYNAMIC
1913 = Pavlov/Skinner BEHAVIOURIST
1950s = Rogers/Maslow = HUMANISTIC
+ COGNITIVE
1960s = Bandura SLT
1980s = BIOLOGICAL
2000s = COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
