Experimental psychology, introspection

Question 1

What is introspection

Answer 1

The minds conscious investigation of its own activity. Reporting own experiences under controlled circumstances. Based on bellief ppl have conscious access.

Question 2

Who came up with introspection

Answer 2

Wolffe: thought empirical psychology was built on introspection. 1732 In his view, it was an interplay between reason and observation

Question 3

Ohter proponents and opponents

Answer 3

Comte opponent: not science (positivist)
Wundt proponent: thought he could avoid criticism on it by increasing control in experimental situation. Made distinction:
- internal perception (philosophers)
- experimental self observation (introspection)
He thought psychology as the study of perception itself could only be studied with introspection.
- Küple: opponent, deferended pure experiments.

Question 4

Wundt’s view on experiments, introspection, psychology and psychophysics

Answer 4

Experiments do have their limitations, mainly for sensory and physiological sides. Psychophysics then created as a bridge between psychology and physiology, to study processes that are both externally and internally accessable. So psychophysics should use both

Question 5

Why is Wundt an important fella

Answer 5

• founder experimental psychology (psychophysics)
• wrote Grundzuge der physiologischen Psychologie 1873
• opened first lab in 1879 in Leipzig, first course, journal
• he encouraged the use of a variety of methods: expeirmental, introspective, deduction, stats, devl., comparative
• said psychology should distance itself from philosophy (not experimental) and physiology (not about consciousness)

Question 6

First methods used in the psych lab

Answer 6

1. psychophysics
2. duration of simple mental processes, psychometry
3. accuracy of memory task reproducation

Question 7

Evolution methods Wundt

Answer 7

1. experimental
2. introspection
3. historical: study of mental differences created by culture, social group. arent accesible to experiments -> folk psychology
   Tried to make it more reliable by using less participants and training them well.

Question 8

Social changes that helped make first lab in Germany

Answer 8

Germany and the first lab:

• university reform: first dominated by humanities, but became theologically independent
• fall of Holy Roman Empire: Prussians wanted to modernise. Instead of focussing on professions, universitites focussed on research (Wissenschaft and Bildung)
• power resided at professors so a lot of freedom to open new areas
• Germany embraced induction more than mathematical deduction than other european countries

Question 9

Fechner

Answer 9

Described JNDs in 1860, as a physiologist. Inspired Wundt to use experimental methods in psychology. Coined term psychophysics

Question 10

James 1875

Answer 10

USA: Harvard, spread it in USA

• interested in Darwin: mind has evolved as adaptation., thus also: functionalism: practical functions of the mind (for survival)
• this also opened the way for comparative psychology (Thorndike)
• introspection: favourite method, fallible but no more than other observations.
• wrote nice textbook in 1890: Principles of Psychology, influential.

Question 11

Titchener

Answer 11

Cornell (USA) 1892
- structuralism: trying to discover structure of the mind by introspection.Which elements basis for knowledge? So structure of consciousness, visual elements.

Question 12

Criticisms structuralism

Answer 12

1. Wurzberg school: many associations are unconscious thus introspecting the structures of consciousness cannot study the mind.
2. not adressing pragmatic issues (functionalism)
3. breaking mind down to parts does not give knowledge bc whole is more than sum parts (gestalt)

Question 13

Main ideas Gestalt (1920s?)

Answer 13

• organizing principles
• experience of the world in terms of patterns and the whole, not the parts
• using illusions, context
• proponents: wertheimer, koffka, köhler, rubin

Question 14

Ribot 1870

Answer 14

Defended introspection:

• mind cna attend to more than one thing
• you can be aware of things posthoc
  3. how then to study mental functions and link them to biology? How do you want to make an association between for example a part of the brain and a mental state (e.g. a feeling of fear) if you do not trust the introspective observation of fear?
  4. can and must be combined with experiments

Question 15

Charcot 1885

Answer 15

• studied hypnosis as potential treatment for hysteria
• inspired Freud
• challenge of his methods lead to realization demand characteristics

Question 16

Binet 1905

Answer 16

• A need to define, diagnose and segregate educationally challenged kids lead him to research intelligence testing and create first test

Question 17

Changes in society that lead psychology to become an independent science or enhanced its position in the 19th century

Answer 17

• Governmentalization: > social management by government, welfare state, shift control to care. Care used to be in hands of some private enlighted individuals.
• Individualization: more attention on individual cases, attempts to re educate.
• Scientification: science became more devoted to societal issues: demographics, pedagogu, psychiatry, criminology

Question 18

When did applied psychology arise and why

Answer 18

1900
Bc of psychological testing to map out individual differences (Galton) Anthropometric Laboratory and later Simon and Binet

Question 19

20th century societal changes that influence psychology

Answer 19

1. Individualizaiton intensifies: due to measurement individual characteristics. Inner world of feelings became important. Later self focus in 1970s (meditaiton, psychedelics)
2. Social management: mental health as a concept, towards all classes and not just the lowest. Not motive of order but care and self improvement. Expansion of the helping professions. Beter client doc relationships. Humanistic techniques like counseling and advice.
3. Adoption of psychology into other fields, especially the technique of counseling by Rogers 1950
4. Popularization: books 1970
5. Critical psychology and emancipation 1970