Origins of Psychology

Question 1

What was Wundt’s aim?

Answer 1

To try to analyse the nature of human consciousness

Question 2

What is introspection?

Answer 2

The first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations

Question 3

What was Wundt’s main objective?

Answer 3

To develop theories about mental processes, such as language and perception

Question 4

How did he observe this?

Answer 4

He and his co-workers recorded their experiences of stimuli they were presented with (sounds or objects)
Divided observations into 3 catergories: thoughts, images and sensations

Question 5

Evaluation: Wundt’s work was scientific

Answer 5

Strength
All introsepctions recorded in lab - extraneous variables not a factor
Procedures and instructions standardised - all ppts recieved same info and were tested in same way
Suggests Wundt’s research can be considered forerunner to later scientific approaches (i.e. behaviourist)

Question 6

Evaluation: Wundt’s research was subjective

Answer 6

Limitation
Ppts self-reported mental processes - subjective
Ppts may have hidden some thoughts
Difficult to establish meaningful ‘laws of behaviour’ from such data
General laws are useful to predict future behaviour, one aim of science
Suggests Wundt’s early efforts were flawed and would not meet criteria of scientific enquiry