Origins of Psychology Flashcards
Define psychology:
The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those functions affecting behaviour in a given context
When was psychology derived from?
Philosophy
What was Rene Descartes?
Cartesian Dualism
-Mind and the body are separate
Who was the starting point of psychology?
Rene Descartes
Who had a concept of empiricism?
John Locke
What was John Locke’s concept?
EMPIRICISM
- all knowledge derived from sensory experience
- can be studied by the use of scientific methods
Did John Lock influence the emergence of psychology as a science?
Yes
What did Charles Darwin propose?
The EVOLUTIONARY THEORIES
Who published a book on psychology ‘Principles of Physiological Psychology’?
Wilhelm Wundt
When was ‘Principles of Physiological Psychology’ published?
1873
Who opened the fist psychology lab in Germany?
Wilhelm Wundt
When did Wilhelm Wundt open the first psychology lab?
1979
What is Wilhelm Wundt known as?
The father of pscyhology
What approach did Wilhelm Wundt form?
Structuralism
What is Structuralism?
To study the structure of the human mind, by breaking down behaviours into their basic elements
Who used introspection?
Wilhelm Wundt
What is introspection?
- To investigate the human mind
- Participants asked to reflect on their own cognitive processes and describe them
How did Wundt establish psychology as a science?
Using scientific methods
What are the strengths of introspection?
-Still used today to gain access to cognitive processes
What are the weaknesses of introspection?
- Non-observable responses
- A true scientific method should be focusing on phenomenons that can be observed and measured
- Presents subjective data
- Difficult to establish a general principle
Who used highly controlled laboratory experiments?
Watson
-Behaviourist Approach
Highly controlled laboratory experiments are….
objective, empirically tested and replicable.
What can occur due to highly controlled laboratory experiments?
Theories can be developed to explain human behaviours
What is objectivity?
Basing findings on fact, rather than opinion
What is subjectivity?
Basing findings on opinion rather than fact
What is replicability?
The ability to repeat a study and achieve the same findings
What is empirical methods?
Phenomenon that can be observed and measured. Testing scientifically
