Origins of Psychology

Question 1

Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology lab

Answer 1

Opened in Leipzig, Germany in 1879

Aim was to describe the nature of human consciousness (‘the mind’) in a carefully controlled and scientific environment - a lab

Question 2

How did Wundt pioneer the method of introspection?

Answer 2

It was the first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations

Isolating the structure of consciousness in a way is called structuralism

Question 3

What is introspection?

Answer 3

A person gains knowledge about their mental and emotional state

Memory and perception could be observed systematically

Question 4

What is the standardised procedures Wundt used?

Answer 4

Same standardised instructions were given to all participants

The procedure can be replicated

e.g given a ticking metronome and report their thoughts , images and sensations , which would then be recorded

Question 5

Why is Wundt’s work so significant?

Answer 5

Although Wundt’s early attempt seem to be naiive to attempt to study the mind

His work was significant and marked the separation of modern scientific psychology from its broader philosophical roots

Question 6

What is empiricism?

Answer 6

Knowledge comes from observation and experience along

Processes information in senses - sensory experience

Question 7

What is the scientific method?

Answer 7

• replicable
• Possible to ‘predict’ behaviour in different conditions
• control extraneous variables
• establish cause and effect
• Wundt used introspection in a controlled scientific method but what he was measuring perception - isn’t scientific

Question 8

The emergency of psychology as a science

instructions

Answer 8

• 1900s : Early behaviourist rejected introspection
• 1930s Behaviourist scientific approach dominated psychology
• 1950s cognitive approach used scientific procedures to study mental processes
• 1990s biological approach introduced technology advances

Question 9

1900s Early behaviourist rejected introspection

Answer 9

• John. B Watson (1913) argued that introspection was subjective in that is varied from person to person
• According to the behaviourist approach , ‘scientific’ psychology should only study phenomena that can be observed and measured

Question 10

1930s Behaviourist scientific approach dominated psychology

Answer 10

• B.F. Skinner (1953) brought the language and rigour of natural sciences into psychology
• The behaviourist focus on learning and the use of carefully controlled lab studies , dominate psychology for the next few decades

Question 11

1950s cognitive approach used scientific procedures to study mental processes

Answer 11

Following the cognitive revolution of 1960s of the study of mental processes seen as a legitimate within psychology

Although mental processes remain ‘private; cognitive psychologist are able to make interferences about how these work on a basis of tests conducted in a controlled environment - lab

Question 12

1990s the biological approach introduced technological advances

Answer 12

Biological psychologists have taken advantage of recent advances in technology including recording brain activity , using scanning techniques such as fMRI and EEG and advanced genetic research

Question 13

A03 Evaluation

Some aspects of Wundt’s methods would be classed as scientific today

Answer 13

• For instance, he recorded the introspections within a controlled lab environment
• He also standardised his procedures so that all participants received the same information and were tested in the same way.
• For this reason, Wundt’s research can be considered a forerunner to later scientific approaches in psychology that were to come

Question 14

Limitation of Wundts research

particpants self-reporting their ‘private’ mental processes

Answer 14

• Wundt relied on participants self-reporting their ‘private’ mental processes. Such data is subjective and participants may not have wanted to reveal some of the thoughts they were having.
• Participants would have also not exactly had the same thoughts every time so establishing general principles would have not been possible. General laws are useful to predict future behaviour, one of the aims of science
• Wundt’s early efforts to study the mind were naiive and would not meet the criteria of scientific enquiry.

Question 15

A strength of psychology is a science

Research in modern psychology claim to be scientific

Answer 15

• Psychology has the same aims as natural sciences - to describe, understand, predict and control behaviour
• Learning approaches, cognitive approach and biological approach al rely on the use of scientific methods - for example, lab studies to investigate theories in a controlled and unbiased way.
• Throughout the 20th century and beyond , psychology has established itself as a scientific discipline

Question 16

Limitation of psychology is a science

Problem is psychology is not all approaches to use objective methods

Answer 16

• The humanistic approach is anti-scientific and does not attempt to formulate general laws of behaviour. It is only concerned only with documenting the unique subjective experience
• The psychodynamic approach makes use of the case study method. This is based on interview techniques, which they are open to bias and no attempt is made to gather a representative sample of the population
• Many claim to be scientific approach to the study of the human thought and experience is not possible , nor is it desirable as there are important differences between psychology and natural sciences

Question 17

Describe Wundt’s role in the development of psychology

Answer 17

Wundt known as ‘the father of psychology’

– moved from philosophical roots to controlled research

 Set up the first psychology laboratory in Liepzig, Germany in 1870s

 Promoted the use of introspection as a way of studying mental processes

 Introspection – systematic analysis of own conscious experience of a stimulus

Question 18

Millie is asked to do a class presentation on introspection. As part of her presentation she said,

‘Introspection is thinking about our own thoughts.’

After the presentation, her classmates said they had learned very little about introspection.

Explain what else Millie could have said about the major features of introspection so that her classmates would be better informed

Answer 18

Focus on being objective

• Reflection on sensations, feelings and images
• Wundt would ask people to focus on an everyday object and look inwards noticing sensations and feelings and images
• Breaking thoughts about an object down into separate elements • Systematic reporting of an experience of object
• Specific examples eg use of metronome