Lesson 1 - The Origins of Psychology

Question 1

Define psychology

Answer 1

The scientific study of the human mind and its functions specially affecting behaviour in a given context

Question 2

Role of Wundt and introspection

Answer 2

“Father of psychology”

• Opened the first psychology lab in Leipzig
• Paved the way for the use of Psychology as a science, comparable to biology, physics etc.
• He devised introspection as a means to study internal mental events
• Wundt focused on perception and structuralism. It involves the use of self reports of sensations, views, feelings and emotions. Structuralism focused on breaking down mental processes into small components, and analyse how these work together to make psychological phenomena
• Done in strict lab controlled conditions, same stimuli, same reaction times and the same instructions to all participants. Repeatable
• Participants asked to say everything going on in their mind when doing an activity and must not hesitate and they can be incoherent
• They only focussed on present experiences
• Led to the development of the cognitive approach

Question 3

Strengths of introspection

Answer 3

• Helped establish psychology as a science, and helped develop other approaches in psychology, like behaviourism and cognitive approach.
• It is extremely scientific, and a high control of variables, and it has similar features compared to the standard sciences, like use of hypotheses, repeatability and control of variables
• It can still be applied to contemporary therapy practices and can be used in cognitive therapy and studying negative thoughts
• Can establish what causes behaviour, like negative though processes for depression, which can lead to preventative treatments like CBT
• Breaks down consciousness into measurable characteristics like senses and experiences (reductionist). It makes complex phenomena easier to investigate. This is opposed to holism which takes into account all aspects of the person

Question 4

Weaknesses of introspection

Answer 4

• Watson (1913) said that introspection varies from one individual to the next and it is not objective or reliable
• Wilson claims that it cannot take into account subconscious ideas or schemas that may effect our thinking like racism, therefore it is not accurate or scientific
• It cannot be properly observed and fails to explain how the mind works and the processes involved when doing an activity, so not very scientific
• Reductionist
• Only focuses on present experiences, does not account for possible childhood traumas that may affect current cognitive processes like how the psychodynamic approach does
• Could be criticised by the biological approach, which a much more scientific and objective approach to studying the mind and behaviour. It would associate cognitive processes with possibly an imbalance of neurotransmitter levels. E.g low serotonin levels correlate to negative thought processes.