Origins Flashcards
(17 cards)
Structuralism of the mind
Wundt believed in structuralism of the mind
Believed the best way to study this was to break down behaviours eg sensation and perception into basic elements
What is introspection
How is it done
Wundts studies using introsepction into…
Gaining knowledge about a persons own mental and emotional states
Through examination or observation of their conscious thoughts and feelings
Wundts studies using introspection into perception made it possible to compare different reports to the same stimuli and therefore etsablish theories ab perception
What discovery did he make ab higher mental processes and what did this lead to
He later realised that higher mental processes eg language couldnt be studied in strict manner and could be described through cultural psychology
What elements is the spec point the emergence of psychology as a science talking about
Empiricism
Scientific approach is based on two assumptions:
-Assumption of determinism
-Assumption of predictability
The scientific method
What is empiricism
all knowledge is derived from sensory experience and observation.
What two things is the scientific approach based on
Assumption of determinism
Assumption of predictability
What is the assumption of determinism
behaviour is caused
What is the assumption of predictability
it is possible to predict behaviour in different conditions
What method is used to explore these assumptions
the scientific method
What are the 3 parts of the scientific method
Objective
Systematic
Replicable
What does objectivity mean?
no biases or preconcieved ideas influence
What does systematic mean
carried out in an orderly way. Measurement and recording of empirical data are carried out accurately with due consideration of other factors
What does replicable mean
can be repeated by other researchers to determine whether the same results can be obtained
AO3 points for origins
Limitation: Wundts approach is unreliable
Support/ Limitation: Scientifc approach is replicable but lacks eco validity
Limitation: accuracy
AO3 origins limitation: Unreliable
P: Approach is unreliable because it relies on ‘non obervable responses’
E: Although participants reported on their conscious experiences, the processes of memory or perception were considered to be unobservable constructions.
E: There was a lack of reliability in his methods and his experimental methods were not easily reproducible
L: His approach was limited compared to psychologists of his time, Pavlov, who was achieving reproducable results and generalisable to all humans
AO3 origins strength: scientific approach
P: Scientific approach- the many controls allows studies to be replicated
E:Ainsworth’s strange situation, step by step instructions; used globally to assess attachment
E:Increases reliability of the theory as evidence for it is replicable so can be tested many times.
BUT
Highly controlled environment, lacks ecological validity
AO3 origins limitation: accuracy
P:Introspection isnt always accurate
E: we have v little knowledge of the causes of and processes underlying our behaviour
problem was particularly acute in study of implicit attitudes eg attitudes or stereotypes which are unknown to us- a person may be implicitly racist= influences way they act to certain ethnic groups
E: attitudes exist outside of conscious awareness, self reports through introspection wouldn’t uncover them
L: challenged value of introspection in exploring roots of behaviour
