Wundt

Question 1

When and where did Wundt establish the first psychology laboratory?

Answer 1

1879 in Germany

Question 2

What was Wundts aims?

Answer 2

To study the structure of the mind by breaking down behaviours such as perception and sensation into their basic elements (structuralism)

Question 3

What aspects of behaviour did he study?

Answer 3

He only studied the aspects that could be strictly controlled under experimental conditions e.g. reaction time and various aspects of sensation and perception.

Question 4

He promoted introspection… What is this?

Answer 4

A systematic analysis of our own conscious experience of a stimulus i.e. it enables us to observe our inner world

Question 5

What was his procedure?

Answer 5

He asked people to focus on an everyday object e.g. metronome and analyse it in terms of it’s component parts e.g. noticing sensations and feelings and images.

Question 6

What is the purpose of his procedure

Answer 6

The participants being presented with and carefully controlled stimuli, they would then provide a description of their inner processes in a systematic way - Wundt then would compare the responses in order to establish general theories about perception and other mental processes.

Question 7

Strength of Wundt

Answer 7

Controlled methods - all the introspections were recorded under strictly controlled conditions using the same stimuli. This makes it as objective as possible.

Question 8

Weakness of Wundt

Answer 8

The data was subjective as it varies from person to person so it is harder to establish general principles.

Question 9

Wundt paved the way for…

Answer 9

later controlled research and the study of the mental processes, for example, by cognitive researchers.

Question 10

Also paved the way for psychology as a…

Answer 10

distinct science and moved it away from its philosophical roots