PAPER 2 - APPROACHES - origins of psychology Flashcards
what is empiricism?
a belief that knowledge is gained through experience, identified by scientific method
what is introspection?
the process of a person gaining knowledge about their own mental and emotional states
what is scientific method?
refers to the use of investigation methods that are objective, systematic and replicable
what is structuralism?
the break down of behaviour into its basic elements
what was Wundt’s belief about the study of the human mind?
that it could be studied scientifically
why was Wundt’s approach referred to as structuralism?
he aimed to study the structure of the minds behaviour by breaking it down into basic elements
why did Wundt’s belief about experimental study change?
he believed all aspects of the human experience could be investigated experimentally but then found that higher mental processes couldn’t be studied in a strict control manner
how did Wundt formulate general theories of human perception?
using introspection - he trained their mental processes (observed their view)
what 2 assumptions is the scientific approach based on?
- all behaviour has a cause (determinism)
- therefore possible to predict behaviour in different conditions
what does the term ‘objective’ mean?
researchers do not let ideas or biases influence the collection of their data
what does the term ‘systematic’ mean?
observations and experiments are carried out in an orderly way
what does the term ‘replicable’ mean?
observations can be repeated by other researchers to determine whether the same results are obtained (RELIABLE)
what should be done to complete the cycle of scientific method?
constant testing and refining of scientific theories
what is meant by the criticism that Wundt’s results were not reliably produced by other researchers?
- approach relied mainly on non-observable responses
- approach failed due to lack of reliability & reproducability
- inconsistency of results - other researchers got different results
how does Nisbett & Wilson’s findings challenge the introspective reports?
- claim we have very little knowledge of causes & processes underlying our behaviour/attitudes
- attitudes are out of conscious awareness, self reports of introspection wouldn’t uncover them (cant report it)
what are some strengths of a scientific approach to psychology?
- lab experiments (artificial, highly controlled)
- control over variables
- can establish cause and effect
- introspection is still relevant
what are some limitations of a scientific approach to psychology?
- not always appropriate - not all psychologists share views that human behaviour can be studied by scientific method
- introspection not always accurate
- must be carried out in controlled environment so cant generalise results - low ecological validity
how has the introspective technique been used more recently?
Hunter (and Csikszentmihayli) used introspective methods as a way of making happiness a measurable phenomenon
what was the study of Hunter and Csikszentmihayli?
gave a group of teenagers beepers that went off at random points during the day - needed to write down their thoughts at these times
what did Hunter and Csikszentmihayli find?
teens were more unhappy than happy but when their energies focused, they had more upbeat thoughts
how is the study by Hunter and Csikszentmihayli a strength for introspection?
introspection offers researchers a way of understanding more clearly the momentary conditions that affect happiness - helps improve quality of lives
