Approaches: Origins of Psychology (1)

• What is psychology defined as?


  The scientific study of the human mind and its functions
• How does psychology differ from natural sciences?


  Psychology is a relatively new scientific discipline
• What was psychology once known as?

  Experimental philosophy
• Who was an early influence on psychology with the concept of Cartesian dualism?


  Rene Descartes
• What does Cartesian dualism imply?


  The mind and body are separate entities
• What concept did John Locke contribute to psychology?


  Empiricism
• What is empiricism?


  The belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience
• Who's evolutionary theories influenced the emergence of psychology?


  Charles Darwin
• What significant work did Wilhelm Wundt publish in 1873?


  'Principles of Physiological Psychology'
• In what year did Wundt open the first psychology laboratory?


  1879
• Why is Wilhelm Wundt often considered the father of psychology?


  He established psychology as a science and opened the first laboratory
• What approach did Wundt use to study the human mind?


  He broke down behaviors into their basic elements, known as structuralism
• What method did Wundt use to investigate the human mind?


  Introspection
• What does introspection mean?


  'Looking into' one's own cognitive processes
• How did Wundt establish psychology as a science?


  By using the scientific method
• What are the steps of the scientific method in psychology?


  1. Ask a question
  2. State a hypothesis
  3. Conduct an experiment
  4. Analyze the results
  5. Make a conclusion
• What are the two major assumptions of Wundt's scientific approach to psychology?


  All behavior is determined and can be predicted
• What does objectivity in the scientific method refer to?


  Basing findings on fact, rather than opinion
• What is replicability in the context of scientific research?


  The ability to repeat a study and achieve the same findings
• What are empirical methods in psychology?


  Methods that can be observed and measured scientifically
• What is the first step of the scientific method?


  Ask a question
• What is the second step of the scientific method?


  State a hypothesis
• What is the third step of the scientific method?


  Conduct an experiment
• What is the fourth step of the scientific method?


  Analyze the results
• What is the fifth step of the scientific method?


  Make a conclusion
• What are the four goals of psychology?


  Description, Explanation, Prediction, Change
• What does each goal of psychology entail?


  • Description: tells us "what" occurred
  • Explanation: tells us "why" a behaviour or mental process occurred
  • Prediction: identifies conditions for future behaviour or mental processes
  • Change: applies knowledge to prevent unwanted behaviour and promote desired change
• Why did behaviourist psychologists like Watson question introspection?


  Because it produced subjective data that varied between participants
• What is a major limitation of introspection in psychology?

  It produces subjective data that cannot be reliably measured
• What is meant by empirical methods in psychology?


  Methods that focus on observable and measurable phenomena
• What are the strengths of the scientific method in psychology?


  • Focuses on objectivity
  • Conducts research in controlled environments
  • Produces accurate knowledge and facts
  • Establishes causes of behaviour and develops testable theories
  • Enables the development of treatments, e.g., psychological therapies for depression
• What is a limitation of the scientific method in psychology?


  It may not accurately reflect behaviour in natural environments
• What is a challenge in measuring human behaviour using the scientific method?


  Some areas of human behaviour and mind cannot be observed or measured
• Why are there different approaches in psychology?


  • Each approach offers a different perspective on human behaviour
  • They contribute to our understanding in various ways
  • No single approach is entirely correct; some are more useful depending on the context
• What is the first step when studying a psychological approach?


  • Identify the main assumptions of the approach
  • Recognize that there may be several theories within the approach
  • Understand that all theories share common assumptions
• What influenced the emergence of psychology as a discipline?

  The success of the natural sciences
• Why did psychology need to adopt the methods of natural sciences?


  To be accepted and flourish as a subject in its own right
• What was the long-standing belief about the human psyche in relation to scientific investigation?


  That it was not amenable to scientific investigation
• When was scientific psychology finally born?


  Towards the end of the nineteenth century
• What research method was used in Griffiths' 1994 study of gambling behavior?


  Introspection