Wundt-development of psych as a science

• A01

  - Wundt is known as the 'Father of scientific Psychology'

  - He set up the first Psychology lap in Leipzig Germany in the 1870s

  - He moved the study of the mind from its philosophical roots to controlled, empirical, scientific research

  - Wundt believed that the mind could be broken down into constituent elements (Reductionism), and these would be found and analysed using introspection (a process of self-observation). He introduced psychology to the idea of experimental methods, a crucial segment of psychology today.
• Introspection

  He created+ promoted the use of introspection as a way of studying mental processes. Introspection is a process of looking inwards/self-examination.

  - It is a systematic analysis of own conscious experience of a standard stimulus, reporting present experience

  - Wundt often used a metronome + an inward experience was analysed in terms of its s components- mental images, emotional reaction, sensations (these would be broken down into separate elements and the participants would be asked to report this

  - Wundt's use of introspection was very standardised- the same instructions to each pp, the same stimuli presented in the same order + the other psychologists used were highly trained by Wundt.
• Scientific Methodology:

  systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing and modification of hypotheses
• Empirical methods


  research that comes from experiencing/observing the thing being studied first hand
• Evaluation- strength

  - P- One strength is that Wundt's use of introspection was systematic, standardised and well-controlled.

  
  

  - E- Introspections were carried out in a controlled laboratory environment so there were few extraneous(situational) variables. E- Procedures and instructions were always presented in the same order to each participant

  
  

  - L-Therefore, Wundt's methods can be considered to be scientific
• EVALUATION:

  P- Another strength is that Wundt's attempts to study Psychology in a scientific way, paved the way for the later emergence of Psychology as a science

  E- E.g., the highly controlled research methods were adopted by the behaviourists + cognitive approaches assumptions that the 'mind' can be scientifically studied

  E- Furthermore, Wundt opened the first psychology laboratory, wrote the first textbook on psychology and produced the first academic journal for psychological research

  L- Therefore, his contribution to, and impact on modern day Psychology is significant
• Weakness:

  P- One weakness/limitation of Wundt's use of introspection is that it is subjective.

  E- It relies on pps self-reporting their mental processes, which is inevitably influenced by a personal perspective.

  E- Furthermore, pps can only report on their conscious experiences rather than any unconscious perceptions and they may find it hard to articulate some of what they experience.

  L- Therefore, the lack of empirical evidence and objectivity means that introspection isn't very scientific
• Wundt pioneered the use of electrical and chronometric devices in psychological research
• Wundt’s conception of a psychology that made use of methodological paradigms of the natural sciences had the biggest impact on the foundations of the discipline