Origins of Psychology Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is a science?
A science is discovering the physical and natural world systematically and objectively using empirical methods such as observation and experimentation
What is objectivity?
Objectivity is the absence of bias in research
What is an advantage of being objective? (confirmation bias)
Objectivity ensures the researched findings are not influenced by the researcher’s personal opinions, which can result in a confirmation bias where researchers merely attempt to support their pre - existing beliefs
What is empiricism?
Empiricism is when scientists test their ideas and base their conclusions on data collected from the world, not just accepting theory or logical arguments
What were the aims of Wundt’s research?
Wundt aimed to document and describe the nature of human consciousness. He wanted to understand the inner workings of the mind through careful observation and analysis.
What was Wundt’s research called?
Wundt’s research was called structuralism
What was the experimental method used by Wundt?
Wundt used introspection as his experimental method
What’s the process of introspection? (3pts)
1* Participants were trained to report conscious experiences as objectively as possible
2* Participants would then be asked to focus on a sensory object (ticking metronome)
3* Participants would then systematically report their experience of the object by breaking their thoughts into separate elements
What did Wundt conclude?
Wundt concluded that the mind could be studied scientifically by breaking down conscious thoughts into their basic elements—sensations, images, and feelings
What is a strength of Wundt’s research? (considered highly scientific + inspiration)
During this time, Wundt’s research was considered highly scientific because of the controlled experiments, large sample sizes and transparent methods he used.
This systematic approach he used allowed him to develop general theories of mental processes and enabled other researchers to replicate his findings.
His emphasis on scientific methodology was a significant inspiration for the scientific psychologists that followed
What is a strength of Wundt’s research? (cognitive psychologists)
Wundt’s use of inferences influenced cognitive psychologists; these researchers ask participants to complete tasks under experimental conditions and the participant’s ability to complete these tasks is used to make inferences about the structure of internal mental processes like memory, attention and perception
What is a strength of Wundt’s research? (wundt allowed behaviours to actually be studied)
Wundt was one of the first to argue that behaviours are determined, so they have a cause that can be studied objectively.
Historical explanations of mental disorders and criminality often had a religious perspective, using ideas like sin or demonic influence.
Following Wundt, other researchers used scientifically deterministic arguments, leading to effective biological treatments in mental health
