Origins of Psychology

Question 1

What is Wundt’s significance to psychology?

Answer 1

• opened first psychological lab in Germany 1879
• he wanted to document & describe the nature of human consciousness
• recorded conscious thoughts to break them down into constituent parts (introspection)

Question 2

What is structuralism?

Answer 2

isolating the structures of consciousness

Question 3

How did Wundt use controlled methods?

Answer 3

• all introspections were recorded under strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus each time
• same standardised instructions applied to all participants to procedures could be replicated

Question 4

What was Watson’s contribution to psychology as a science?

Answer 4

• he argued that introspection produced data that was too subjective & varied between people making it difficult to establish general principles
• he was highly critical of the ‘private’ focus of mental processes & proposed that psychology should be restricted to studying what could be observed & measured (behaviourist approach was born)