The Origins of Psychology Flashcards
What is the aim of psychology?
To PREDICT and CONTROL behaviour.
What is theoretical value?
A visionary set of IDEAS that hold value only in THEORY that should be FURTHER developed in order to hold PRACTICAL TRUTH.
Outline the origins of psychology [6 marks]
> Wundt known as ‘the founding father of psychology’ – moved from philosophical roots to controlled research.
> Set up the first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany in 1879.
> Promoted the use of introspection as a way of studying mental processes.
> Introspection – systematic analysis of own conscious experience of a stimulus.
> An experience was analysed in terms of its component parts e.g. sensations, emotional reaction etc.
> His work paved the way for later controlled research and the study of mental processes e.g. by cognitive psychologists.
What is introspection?
The SYSTEMATIC analysis of one’s own CONSCIOUS experience in response to a STIMULUS. It’s broken down into it’s components.
The stimulus could be a ticking METRONOME.
Pps reflect on their experiences and record what they feel and answer questions.
Here’s the stimulus.
What do you think / feel about the stimulus?
What are the trigger words when you see “Introspection”?
Systematic analysis
Conscious experience
Stimulus
What is the typical stimulus in introspection that the mark scheme accepts?
A ticking metronome.
What did Wundt believe he should do to study the mind?
Apply reductionism.
What is reductionism?
Idea that complex things can be explained in terms of simpler parts.
Wundt believed that he could apply reductionism to studying the human mind, which meant he could…
Explain the mind in terms of its simpler parts.
Describe the method used by Wundt in his research.
Wundt used the scientific method to study the mind.
He tested participants in a controlled environment, to understand cause & effect.
He would present participants with a stimulus on repeated occasions, and would ask pps to report their experience of the stimulus through introspection.
Outline Watson’s contribution to the origins of psychology (AO1)
> Watson was the first behaviourist - aim was to make psychology more scientific & objective discipline by conducting CONTROLLED research into OBSERVABLE behaviour and operationalise variables to produce empirical evidence.
> It is impossible to study mental processes.
> When we are born our mind is a blank slate (tabula rasa)
> Most behaviour is learned through exposure to the environment.
> Behaviour is the result of a response to a stimulus.
> There is little difference between the learning that takes place in humans and other animals.
