The Approaches: Origins of Psychology NEW Flashcards
What is meant by the term science?
Gaining knowledge through the use of objective (factual) investigation.
Who is known as the Father of Psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt
Where and when did Wundt create the first psychology laboratory?
Germany in 1879
What did Wundt use controlled environments to establish?
General theories about mental processes
Which components did Wundt claim human experience should be analysed?
Sensations
Emotions
Reactions to present experiences
What was the name of the technique used by Wundt?
Introspection
In introspection a person would focus on an object while ….
listening to a stimulus e.g. metronome
Give an example of a stimulus a person may listen to whilst focusing on an object during introspection
Metronome
In introspection, what does a person focus on when looking inwards?
Sensations
Feelings
Images
Why is Wundt praised?
He helped move psychology from philosophical roots by using controlled environments and standardised procedures to study human experience.
Give two ways Wundt’s research could be seen as scientific
Uses controlled environments, Uses standardised procedures
By using standardised procedures and controlled environments, what does this mean for Wundt’s research?
It can be easier to replicate the research.
Although Wundt’s research is replicable it might not be seen as …
reliable
Why might introspection not be considered reliable?
It focuses on a person’s subjective experience which varies from person to person so is hard to establish consistent general principles
What is Wundt known as?
The ‘Father of Psychology’
Why is Wundt known as the ‘Father of Psychology’?
He set up the first psychology laboratory in Germany in 1879 & he published one of the first books on psychology, helping to establish the subject as an independent branch of science
What did Wundt help to establish Psychology as?
An independent branch of science
How did Wundt establish general theories about mental processes?
By using controlled environments
What did Wundt use the scientific method to study?
Present experiences such as the structure of sensation and perception using introspection
How did Wundt study present experiences such as the structure of sensation and perception?
Using the scientific method of introspection
What happens during introspection?
The individual focuses on an object, whilst listening to a stimulus e.g. metronome, and look inwards noticing their own present sensations, feelings and images
In introspection, what is analysis broken up into?
Components of thoughts, images and sensations
How did Wundt move psychology away from its philosophical roots?
Using controlled environments with a standardised procedure to study emotions, feelings and sensations
Give two examples of how Wundt used controlled environments with a standardised procedure
Using the same stimulus every time (ticking metronome) and giving the participants the same standardised instructions
What did Wundt use controlled environments with a standardised procedure to study?
Emotions, feelings and sensations
Why is Wundt’s method considered replicable?
He used controlled environments with a standardised procedure to study emotions, feelings and sensations, such as using the same stimulus every time (ticking metronome) and giving the participants the same standardised instructions.
Why does Wundt’s method make it difficult to establish consistent general principles of human behaviour?
Introspection focuses on a participant’s subjective experience and therefore findings varied greatly from person to person
Who argued that Psychology should only study behaviour that could be observed and measured scientifically?
Behaviourist psychologists such as Watson
What led to the behaviourist approach being developed, following the contributions of Wundt?
Not relying on introspection as a means of collecting data, instead only studying behaviours which are observable and measurable
How does the behaviourist approach study human behaviour more scientifically in comparison to Wundt’s methods?
Uses more empirical and objective methods such as carefully controlled lab experiments RATHER THAN focusing on a participant’s subjective experience
Wundt’s method of introspection focuses on a participant’s subjective experience, what is a consequence of this?
Not reliable - findings varied greatly from person to person, making it difficult to establish consistent general principles of human behaviour
Wundt used controlled environments with a standardised procedure to study emotions, feelings and sensations, what does this make his method/research?
Replicable - scientific
Introspection focuses on a participant’s subjective experience and therefore findings varied greatly from person to person. What is a consequence of this?
It makes it difficult to establish consistent general principles of human behaviour
What did Behaviourist psychologists such as Watson argue?
That Psychology should only study behaviour that could be observed and measured scientifically
How is an individual’s conscious experience analysed in introspection?
Systematically
What is systematically analysed in introspection?
An individual’s conscious experience
What does introspection focus on?
Present experiences
