origins of psychology

Question 1

Wundt facts

Answer 1

psychologist
believed the human mind could be studied scientifically and established a laboratory in Leipzig
he studied only aspects of behaviour that could be controlled under experimental conditions

Question 2

Wundt aim

Answer 2

to study the structure of the human mind and to establish basic elements of sensation and perception - known as structuralism

Question 3

introspection

Answer 3

the process which the person gains knowledge about their own mental state
enables us to observe our inner world

Question 4

the emergence of psychology in science

Answer 4

end of 19th century - belief in empiricism, all knowledge came from observations and experience, put into practice by Wundt and his followers

Question 5

scientific psychology based on 2 assumptions

Answer 5

• all behaviour is caused

- therefore all behaviour is predictable

Question 6

to methods used to explore the assumptions =

Answer 6

the scientific method - are objective, systematic and replicable

Question 7

the scientific method

Answer 7

objective
systematic
replicable
replicable results build theories

Question 8

objective

Answer 8

assumptions and biases do not influence data collection

Question 9

systematic

Answer 9

variables are identified controlled and accurate measures are made

Question 10

replicable

Answer 10

researches can repeat the test to gain same results

Question 11

replicable results build theories

Answer 11

theories are further tested in the research cycle

Question 12

evaluation introspection application

Answer 12

Csikszentmihalyi and Hunter 2003 study of happiness
gave teenagers beepers that went off during the day prompting them to write down their thoughts and feelings
most were unhappy unless challenged

Question 13

limitation introspection

Answer 13

its experimental research results were not reliably reproduced by other researchers – Wundt came to think that not all mental processes could be studied in a strictly controlled environment

Question 14

Evaluation- reasons why psychology aims to be scientific

Answer 14

empirical methods can provide us with casual relationships
good science is about falsifiability
objectivity has increased with the growth of biopsychology and cognitive which utilises technology to explain behaviour

Question 15

evaluation- reasons for not aiming to be scientific

Answer 15

much of the subject matter of psychology is unobservable

people do not share the consistency of the matter of natural sciences – predications not possible