Origins Of Pychology

Question 1

Describe Wundts role in the development of psychology
(6 marks)

Peel

Answer 1

Wundt is known as the ‘father of psychology’

He moved psychology from its philosophical roots to controlled research

He set up the first psychological lab
- “institute of experimental psychology”

This helped establish Psychology as a scientific discipline

Used scientific methods like introspection to study conscious mind

This included people breaking their conscious thoughts into feelings sensations and images after being given a controlled stimulus (metronome/image)

Seen as a fire-runner to latest scientific approaches

Fore runner to cognitive approach

Question 2

Limitation of Wundt’s work
PEEL
1
2
3
4

Answer 2

Relied on subjective private experiences
- These are difficult to measure or observe

Lack of reliability
-Participants wouldn’t have same thoughts every time and thoughts vary from person to person

So general theories couldn’t be established to everyone about mental processes

Study was naive and wouldn’t meet the criteria of scientific enquiry today

Question 3

Structuralism
(In regards to mental processes)

Answer 3

Breaking down conscious thoughts into the most basic components.

Question 4

Introspection

Answer 4

Understanding the mind via the examination of one’s conscious experiences by breaking it up into feelings images and sensations

For example the use of a metronome or image (controlled stimulus)
then asking all participants what they felt by these three things

Question 5

The emergence of the behaviourist approach

Answer 5

Value of scientific study of introspection was being questioned

Behaviourist for example Watson and Skinner believe that scientific psychology should just do the things that can be observed and measured

Birth of behaviourist approach

Question 6

Briefly explain the emergence of psychology as a science
Four marks

Answer 6

Wundt Founded the first psychological lab which allowed philosophical roots to become controlled research

Wundt used controlled Scientific methods like introspection
- controlled stimuli (metronome/image)
and broke down peoples thought into sensations images and feelings

Behaviourist e.g. Watson and Skinner wanted to only focus on observable and measurable behaviour - Objective results
Used controlled lab experiments


Question 7

Time periods of the approaches
Behaviourism
Cognitive
Social learning Theory
Biological

Answer 7

Behaviourism 1913
Cognitive 1960
Social learning Theory 1980
Biological 1980s onwards.

Question 8

The scientific method
1
2
3
4

Answer 8

Objective - recording what is observable and measurable without being influenced by bias or opinions

Replicable - conditions and results should be able to be replicated by other psychologists

Controlled - under controlled conditions

Predictable - should be able to predict future behaviour