Origins of Psychology

Question 1

Psychology

Answer 1

The scientific study of the mind, behaviour and experience

Question 2

What is science?

Answer 2

A means of discovering knowledge through systematic and objective investigation

Question 3

Introspection

Answer 3

The first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind, investigating internal events by examining conscious thoughts and feelings

Question 4

What was Wundt’s aim?

Answer 4

To analyse the nature of human consciousness and develop theories about mental processes such as language and perception

Question 5

Wundt (1879) procedure

Answer 5

P’s recorded their experiences to various stimuli (eg. Ticking metronome), dividing their observations into thoughts, images and sensations

Question 6

Evaluation of Wundt (1879)

Answer 6

• Systematic (eg. All introspections recorded in controlled lab, ensuring EV’s were not factors)
• Structuralism / standardisation (eg. All p’s tested in the same way)
• Subjective data (eg. Self-report introspections with p’s not revealing everything), not meeting the criteria of scientific enquiry

Question 7

The emergence of psychology as a science

Answer 7

• Behaviourists (1900s) - introspection suggested as too subjective
• Cognitive approach (1950s) - legitimate studies
• Biological approach (1980s) - advances in technology (eg. fMRI scans)

Question 8

Evaluation of psychology as a science

Answer 8

• Modern psychology claims to be scientific (eg. Same aims as natural sciences)
• Not all approaches use objective methods (eg. Humanistic approach, psychodynamic approach)
• Demand characteristics in human studies
• Doesn’t have a paradigm due to so much disagreement