Origins Of Psychology

Question 1

What is Introspection?

Answer 1

The first systematic experimental technique to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into thoughts, images and sensations.

Question 2

What is Psychology?

Answer 2

A scientific study of the mind, behaviour and experience

Question 3

What is Science?

Answer 3

Acquiring knowledge through systematic and objective investigation. Discover general laws

Question 4

Explain Wundt’s Lab in Wundt and Introspection?

Answer 4

• In 1879 Wundt opened up the first psychological lab in Leipzig Germany. It marked the beginning of scientific psychology
• Wundts aim was to analyse the nature of human consciousness. And represented the first systematic attempt to study mind under controlled conditions.
• His method was introspection

Question 5

Explain Wundts Standardised procedures in Wundt and Introspection?

Answer 5

• His main Objective was to develop theories about mental processes like language and perception.
• He and his co-workers recorded experiences they had with stimuli such as sounds and objects.
• Divide into 3 categories. Thoughts, images and sensations.
• They would be given a metronome and report images and sensations.

Question 6

Explain Structuralism in Wundt and Introspection?

Answer 6

• Isolating consciousness is called structuralism. Stimuli was always presented in same order and same instructions

Question 7

Explain 1900’s Behaviourists in The emergence of Psychology as a science?

Answer 7

• Value of introspection was questioned and mostly by Watson.
• Introspection was to subjective than objective.
• Watson and Skinner later proposed that psychology should be observed objectively and measured.
• Behaviourists focused on behaviour and would use controlled experiments. They would later dominate for the next 50 years.

Question 8

Explain the 1950’s Cognitive Approach in The emergence of Psychology as a science?

Answer 8

• Cognitive Scientists likened the mind to a computer. And tested their predictions about memory and attention using experiments.
• Cognitive approach ensures that it is legitimate and highly scientific.

Question 9

Explain the 1980’s Biological Approach in the emergence of Psychology?

Answer 9

• Researchers have taken advantage in new technology.
• Like fMRI and EGG.
• Genetic testing as well has been made to show relationship between genes and behaviour.

Question 10

Evaluate Scientific strength of Origins of Psychology?

Answer 10

• Wundts work was systematic and well controlled.
• Introspection were recorded in the lab.
• All participants received same information and tested in same way.
• Wundts research can help behaviourist approach because of this.

Question 11

Evaluate limitation of Wundt and Origin of psychology?

Answer 11

• Wundt’s research would be unscientific because he relied on participants self reporting their mental processes.
• Participants may of hidden thoughts.
• Difficult to establish laws of behaviour and general laws are used to predict new ones

Question 12

Evaluate strength in Psychology?

Answer 12

• Psychology claims to be scientific
• Same aims as science and cognitive and behavioural use it. They use lab studies

Question 13

Evaluate limitation of Psychology?

Answer 13

• Not all approaches use objective methods.
• Humanistic approach rejects scientific approach (Focuses on individual experiences and subjective experiences.)
• Psychodynamic uses case study which doesn’t use representative samples