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Approaches
Origins of Psychology
Wundt and Introspection
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Created by
Rayaan Shafi
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Wilhelm Wundt
1832-1920
the 'father' of experimental psychology
first person to usher in psychology as an academic discipline
In
1875
Wundt established the
first
laboratory
dedicated to
experimental
psychology at
Leipzig
University
Wundt’s approach became known as structuralism
He applied this model of objective scientific investigation to the study of the mind/cognition
Wundt's approach was to break down the structure of the mind into two broad components: sensations + perceptions
Wundt developed a technique, known as
introspection
, the literal definition of which is
'to
look
within'
Introspection
is the process used to
examine
the
inner
world of
sensations
and
perceptions
Introspection works by a person consciously observing and being aware of their sensations and perceptions (in the form of thoughts and emotions)
Once this process of introspection has been made,it is followed by the cataloguing and reporting of the detail involved
Wundt's introspective sessions took place in a controlled environment (both he and his colleagues participated)
Wundt introduced stimuli (images or sounds) which participants then considered
Wundt used the findings from introspection to illuminate and identify the processes involved in human consciousness
What is structuralism?
breaking down
mental
processes
into their most
basic
components
Strength - subjective methods
Wundt used subjective methods in his pursuit of the scientific process (which can be viewed as a strength)
as it places real human experience at the forefront of the objective study of cognitive processes
This sets his work apart from the 'hard' sciences as it draws from inner thoughts and feelings, enhancing its mundane realism
Strength - cognitive approach
Wundt's focus on mental processes through introspection can be seen as a forerunner of the cognitive approach
This is a strength as it paved the way for researchers to find ways to test what is not observable e.g. thoughts, feelings, memory, perception
Limitations - replication
process of introspection is not replicable as it relies on subjective focus on individual sensations + perceptions
Wundt himself encountered difficulty replicating sessions of introspection
This in turn limits the reliability of introspection as a scientific method
Limitations - Pavlov > Wundt
Argued that early behaviourists such as Pavlov contributed more to the origins of psychology than Wundt did
Behaviourist methods are reliable as they adhere more to the features of science which is what Wundt intended but failed to fully realise