Paper 2 - 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
What was Wilhelm Wundt’s contribution
First person to call himself a psychologist (“father of psychology”)
Believed human mind could be studied scientifically
Moved from philosophical roots to controlled, objective research
Paved the way for the acceptance of psychology as a science and experimental psychology as the preferred method of studying human behaviour
Wundt’s lab experiment using standardised procedures
Wundt and his co-workers recorded their experiences of different objects and sounds they were presented with (e.g. a ticking metronome). They used introspection to analyse the experience in terms of structuralism
The stimuli presented were always presented in the same order and the same instructions were issued to all participants
Wundt’s contributions in making psychology a science
Set up first experimental psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany in 1879
Aimed to study the structure of the mind by breaking down behaviours such as perception and consciousness into their basic elements (structuralism)
Promoted the method of introspection as a way of studying these mental processes. A systematic analysis of our own conscious experience of a stimulus
Produced the first academic journal for psychological research and wrote the first textbook ‘Principles of Physiological Psychology’
Laid down the foundations that were to come in the future such as Behavioural and Cognitive psychology
What is introspection
The first experimental method to explore the mind.
A person gains knowledge about their own mental and emotional states by examining their own conscious thoughts and feelings
What is structuralism
The idea that the brain has 3 main parts
- Thoughts
- Images
- Sensations
What is empiricism
The idea that objective decisions are produced by using the 5 senses
Evaluation (STRENGTH) - Some of his methods were controlled and systematic
E - All the introspections were recorded under strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus every time. The same standardised instructions were issued to participants to make it as objective as possible. The above allowed procedures to be repeated (replicated) every single time.
L - This suggests that Wundt’s research can be said to be the forerunner of all the later scientific approaches in psychology
Evaluation (LIMITATION) - Other aspects of his research would be considered unscientific
E - Wundt relied on participants self-reporting their experiences. Data was subjective in that it varied from person to person, so it was difficult to establish general principles or laws. Introspective results were not reliably reproducible by other researchers in other laboratories
L - Suggests Wundt’s methods to study the mind were flawed and did not meet the criteria of science
