The orgins of psychology

Question 1

Who was Wilhelm Wundt (5)

Answer 1

*One of the first people to study behaviour using scientific techniques
*Made Introspection
*Set up the world’s first laboratory for the use of psychology in Liepzig
*He produced one of the worlds first books on psychology
*Separated psychology from philosophy through the use of scientific methods

Question 2

Define psychology

Answer 2

The scientific study of behaviour and mental processes and how these are affected by internal and external factors

Question 3

Define introspection

Answer 3

A systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts images and sensations

Wilhelm Wundt(father of psychology) made this

Introspection is not a direct observation just an infernece

Question 4

Define science

Answer 4

Discovering the physical and natural world systematically and objectively using methods such as observation and experimentation

Question 5

Why is objectivity so crucial in Psychology

Answer 5

Psychologists study human behaviour which is subjective and can be interpreted in many different ways

Question 6

Who disagreed with the subjective nature of introspection

Answer 6

John B Watson and Skinner.Skinner said that the findings differed from individual to individual and Watson said it produced subjective data

The two men were behaviourists

Question 7

Why was introspection signifcant

Answer 7

It marked the separation of the modern scientfic psychology from its broader philosophical roots

Question 8

How were introspections recorded

Answer 8

They were recorded under strict conditions using the same stimulus every time so it could be replicated every single time

Question 9

What is empricism

Answer 9

SCienteists must test their ideaas and bease their conclusions on data collected from the real world and not just accept theories or logical arguements

Question 10

What did empiricsm lead to

Answer 10

The behaviourst appraoch-the world can be understood by investigating external events that are observed and measured

Question 11

Define systematic

Answer 11

Using a fixed or controlled method which decreses the intial result being due to chance

Question 12

What is the process of introspection

Answer 12

1. Participants are trained to report conscious experineces
2. then they would be asked ro focus on a sensory object (usually a ticking metronome)
3. Participants would then systematically report their expeirnce by vreaking thrir thoughts into separate elements

Question 13

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the scientfic method

Answer 13

Strengths:experiments are repeatbale by anyone
Provides a framerowkr for undrdtanding
Reliable at finding the truth
WEaknesses:human error
Most subjective methods of psychology cant be observed so it cant be measured arrcuetly
loses ecological validdity

Question 14

What is ecological validity

Answer 14

The extent to which bheviours observed and recorded in a study reflect the behaviours that actually occur in the real world

Question 15

What is a negative to introscpection

Answer 15

It is based on inferences so very objective

Question 16

Evaluations of Wundt and introspection Pros (3)

Answer 16

For his time Wundts work was high scientific which inspired later psychologsists to also stud the mind
His use of inferneces influeced cognitive psychologsists but rather than asking participants what’s happenng in their mind they ask ppts to complete tasks under experimental conditions
He was one of the first to argue that behvaiours are determined, so they have a cause that can be studied

Question 17

Evaluations of Wundt and introspection(2) Cons

Answer 17

Compared to modern psychology Wundts work is not classified as scientific because of the subjective nature of introspection as participants cannot accruately report on their own mental states and could be biased(also demad chacrteristics
Wundts work is also not scientific because of his use of inferneces to identify internam mental states

Question 18

What is a strength of the Scientific method

Answer 18

It strictly controls conditions which reduces and controls the effects of confounding and extraneous variables increasing the reliability