The Origins Of Psychology Flashcards
What is psychology
The scientific study of the human mind and its functions
- how the is effects behaviour
What is science
A means of acquiring knowledge through systematic and objective investigation
- to discover general laws
What is introspection
The first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind
- by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts images and sensations
When did psychology emerge as a separate discipline
The mid 1800s
Who was Wundt
The first person to call himself a psychologist
- suggested all aspects of the mind could be studied scientifically
- his approach paved the way to the acceptance of psychology as a distinct science
What method was the preferred for studying human behaviour
Experimental psychology
Where was Wundts Lab
Leipzig , Germany
What did Wundt study
Behaviour that could be strictly controlled under experimental conditions (perception and reaction time(
What did Wundt aim to do
Examine the structure of the mind by breaking down behaviours into basic elements
-structuralism approach and introspective technique
How did Wundt use introspection
As a form of self examination
-trained subjects would attempt to record their thoughts and breakdown their responses and reactions
Wundts perception studies
Participants presented with carefully controlled stimuli such as a visual image
- then asked to provide a description of the inner processing they were experiencing
- compared the participants responses
- established general theories about perception and mental processes
Introspection evaluation
:( - Wundts methods unreliable as they relied on non observable responses -self report -not reproduced by other researchers
:( - lacks validity and accuracy - Nisbett and Wilson suggest - little knowledge of the process underlying our behaviour and attitudes - challenge introspective reports eg- may be unconscious such as implicit racism which may not be uncovered through self report
