Origins of psychology Flashcards
(14 cards)
What was Wundt’s aim?
To study the structure of the human mind, he believed the best way to do this was to break down behaviours such sensation and perception into their basic elements
What is introspection?
The process by which a person gains knowledge about their own mental and emotional states as a result of their conscious thoughts and feelings
Why did Wundt come develop introspection?
Because he realised that higher mental process such as learning, language and emotions, could not be studied in a strict and controlled manner
What is Völkerpsychologie?
Cultural psychology: topics such as mental processes can be described in terms of general trends in behaviour among groups of people
What does introspection translate into? and what is it?
‘Looking into’ - process by which a person gains knowledge about his or her own mental and emotional states - our introspective ability enables us to observe our inner world similarly to how our perceptual ability allows us to make sense of outer world
How can observers use introspection to test mental processes systematically?
Example: observers might be shown an object and asked to reflect upon how they were perceiving it, this information could then be used to gain insight into the nature of the mental processes involved in perception, reaction time etc
What did Wundt do in his study of perceptions?
Participants would be presented with carefully controlled stimuli (e.g. visual images/auditory tones) and asked to provide a description of the inner processes they were experiencing. This made it possible to compare different participants’ reports in response to the same stimuli, - and so establish general theories about perceptions and mental processes
What do empiricists believe?
Knowledge comes from observation observation and experience alone (rather than being innate)
What two major assumptions was the new ‘scientific’ approach based on?
- Behaviour is seen as being caused (assumption of determinism)
- consequently, it should be possible to predict how human beings would behave in different conditions (the assumption of predictability)
What does the scientific method refer to?
Use of investigative methods that are objective, systematic and replicable
What can be used alongside observation techniques?
Reason - helps explain observations
The development of scientific theories and the constant testing and refining of these theories through further observation completes the scientific cycle
Why were Wundts methods unreliable?
Although participants could report on their conscious experiences, the process themselves were considered unobservable constructions - leads to subjective data that has no way of being verified
What is a problem with humans being active in research?
Demand characteristics and social desirability
May also experience researcher bias
What is a strength of Wundt’s ideas?
Methods were systematic and well controlled - standardised procedures
It provided a starting point, laying the foundations for future psychology
