Wundt Flashcards
Who was Wundt and what did he do for psychology
He was the first psychologist to set up a psychological laboratory. He wanted to take psychology out of philosophy and establish it as a science with its own rights
Wundt used introspection to understand the minds sensations and feelings
What experiment did Wundt create
He trained observers and presented them with a control stimulus which was a ticking metronome
Participants were then asked to describe how the stimulus made them think and feel.
The same stimulus was given to the each person.
He used the scientific method to study the structure of sensation and perception
AO3 for Wundt and his research
-The research wasn’t scientific
The behaviourists said that private experiences such as sensations aren’t observable so are difficult to measure. These experiences were subjective and the only way to be objective and scientific is by measuring observable behaviour.
This is a weakness because it undermines the reliability of Wundt work. HOWEVER, it is still used in today to gain access to cognitive processes . For example research was done on gamblers and those who regularly gambled had more irrational verbalisations.
-start of cognitive psychology
Without Wundt some have questioned if cognitive psychology would have existed. This is a strength because Wundt’s methods have been influential to cognitive psychologists and therefore the discipline of psychology.
-contribution to psychology as a science
Wundt used the scientific method to study the mind. If he had never done this , then psychology study of the mind may have still been linked with philosophical roots. This is a strength because wundts work has paved its way for the study of psychology as a respected discipline
