The origins of psychology Flashcards
Who is considered as the father of psychology?
Wilhelm Wundt
What did Wundt establish?
Experimental psychology
Where was Wundt’s laboratory?
Leipzig, Germany
What made Wundt different to previous ‘psychologists’?
He believed in using the scientific method
What was Wundt’s aim?
To study the structure of the human mind
What is the scientific method?
The use of investigative methods which are objective, systematic and replicable to form conclusions about behaviour
What was Wundt’s favoured technique?
Introspection
What is introspection?
The process by which an individual understands their mental state by examining their conscious thoughts and feelings
What is the Latin meaning of introspection?
‘Looking into’
What did Wundt do to his participants?
Trained them in introspection
What would Wundt present his participants with?
A carefully controlled stimulus (e.g. a metronome)
What is empiricism?
The belief that all knowledge comes from sensory experience
What is structuralism?
Breaking behaviour down into the most simple components
