the origins of pyschology

Question 1

background on Wilhelm Wundt

Answer 1

• first person to call himself a psychologist
• believed that all aspects of human nature could be studied scientifically.
• his ideas lead to psychology being its own science

Question 2

what did Wilhelm Wundt study in his lab in Germany?

Answer 2

-only aspects of behaviour that could be strictly controlled under experimental conditions. e.g reaction time

Question 3

what was the technique that Wilhelm Wundt used?

Answer 3

introspection

Question 4

define introspection

Answer 4

-the process by which a person gains knowledge about their own mental/emotional states.

Question 5

explain how Wundt’s studies of perception were carried out.

Answer 5

• participants presented with controlled stimuli. (e.g. visual images)
• asked to describe the inner processes there were experiencing as they looked at the image.
• this enabled comparisons to be made between the different participants responses to the stimuli so theories about perception could be established.

Question 6

define empiricism

Answer 6

the belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience.

Question 7

what two assumptions were used to created the scientific method

Answer 7

• behaviour is caused (determinism)
• if behaviour is determined then it should be possible to predict how humans would behave in different conditions (predictability)

Question 8

define the scientific method?

Answer 8

refers to the use of investigation methods that are objective, systematic, and replicable and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses based on these methods.

Question 9

explain why Wundt’s methods were unreliable.

Answer 9

• the approach relied on “nonobservable” responses. The participants could report their feelings but the processes (e.g. memory) were said to be unobservable constructions.
• introspective experimental results were not reliably reproducible by other researchers in other labs.

Question 10

explain why introspection isn’t particular accurate.

Answer 10

• most psychologists accept the claim that we have little knowledge of the causes of our behaviour and attitudes. This claim challenges the value of introspective reports.
• Nisbett and Wilson found that participants were remarkably unaware of factors that had been influential in their choice of a consumer item.

Question 11

strengths of the scientific approach

Answer 11

• since the approach relies on determinism, they are able to establish the causes of behaviour through the use of methods that are empirical and replicable.
• if scientific theories no longer fit the facts, they can be refined or abandoned. Since psychologists are always repeating each others experiments, it is hard for a theory that doesn’t explain the facts to stay

Question 12

limitations of the scientific approach

Answer 12

• not all psychologists share the view that all human behaviour can be explored by this method. If human behaviour is not subject to the laws and regulations implied by the sm, then predictions become impossible and these methods inappropriate.
• by concentrating on objectivity and control in observation, scientific psychologists create contrived situations that tell us little about how people act in more natural environments

Question 13

explain a strength of introspections

Answer 13

• Hunger used introspection methods as a way of making “happiness” a measurable phenomenon.
• gave teenagers beepers that went off during the day, surprising participants and requiring them to write down their thoughts in the moment before the beep.
• most of the entires indicated that the teens were unhappy rather than happy.
• but Hunter found that when their energies were focused on a challenging task, they tended to be more happy.

Question 14

Key words

Answer 14

• Wundt
• Introspection
• Empiricism
• scientific approach
• Mind and behaviour
• psychology as distinct science