Origins of Psychology:

• What was introspection?


  The first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations
• Who was Wilhelm Wundt?


  Wilhelm Wundt was a German psychologist and philosopher who is often referred to as the "father of experimental psychology.
• What did Wundt do?

  • Wundt opened the first psychological laboratory (1879)
  • He aimed to scientifically investigate human consciousness
  • He pioneered the use of introspection, whereby he and his co-workers recorded their own thoughts, aiming to isolate their constituent parts (structuralism)
• What was structuralism?


  The study of isolating the structure of consciousness
• What does CORRE stand for?

  C- control

  O- objectives (to see things in an un-biased way)

  R- rationale (theory should make sense)

  R- replicable (standardised procedures and instructions)

  E- empirical (done their own research)
• In a PEEL paragraph style give me a strength of Wundt's approach?

  P- It marked the beginning of the scientific study of human behaviour

  E- For example, he recorded introspections in a controlled lab environment.

  E- He used a standardised procedure so all participants received the same information in the same way

  L- This suggests Wundt has made a valid contribution to psychology
• In a PEEL paragraph style give me a weakness of Wundt's approach?

  P- A weakness of Wundt's contribution to psychology is that his methods lack scientific rigour (by today's standards)

  E- Wundt relied on subjective reports about their IMPS (internal mental processes) and participants may even lie/hide their thoughts and feelings

  E- Difficult to establish laws of human behaviour

  L- This suggests Wundt's approach lacks validity
• What does IMP stand for?

  I- internal

  M- mental

  P- processes