origins of psychology

• Who was the first person to call himself a psychologist?


  Wilhelm Wundt
• What did Wundt believe could be studied scientifically?


  All aspects of nature, including the human mind
• What method did Wundt prefer for studying human behavior?


  Experimental psychology
• Where did Wundt conduct his studies?


  In his laboratory in Leipzig, Germany
• What aspects of behavior did Wundt study under experimental conditions?


  Reaction time and aspects of sensation and perception
• What was Wundt's aim in studying the human mind?


  To study the structure of the human mind
• What term is used to describe Wundt's approach to psychology?


  Structuralism
• What technique did Wundt use to study mental processes?


  Introspection
• What does introspection mean?


  'Looking into' one's own mental and emotional states
• How did Wundt believe mental processes could be observed?


  Systematically as they occurred using introspection
• How might participants provide insight into their perception in Wundt's studies?


  By reflecting on how they were perceiving an object
• What was the purpose of comparing different participants' reports in Wundt's studies?


  To establish general theories about perception and mental processes
• What philosophical view is central to psychology as a discipline?

  Empiricism
• What do empiricists believe about knowledge?


  It comes from observation and experience alone
• What are the two major assumptions of the new scientific approach to psychology?

  Determinism and predictability of behavior
• What does the scientific method in psychology refer to?


  Objective, systematic, and replicable investigative methods
• Why is the scientific method considered objective?


  Researchers do not let biases influence data collection
• What does it mean for the scientific method to be systematic?


  Observations or experiments are carried out in an orderly way
• Why is replicability important in the scientific method?


  It determines whether results can be universally accepted
• What happens if results are not replicable?


  They are not reliable and cannot be accepted as universally true
• What completes the scientific cycle in psychology?


  The development and testing of scientific theories
• What was a criticism of Wundt's structuralist approach?


  It relied primarily on nonobservable responses
• Why did Wundt's approach ultimately fail?


  Due to the lack of reliability of his methods
• How did early behaviorists achieve reliable results?


  By discovering explanatory principles that could be generalized
• What does scientific knowledge being self-corrective mean?


  Scientific theories can be refined or abandoned if they no longer fit the facts
• Why might a scientific approach not always be appropriate in psychology?


  Not all human behavior can be explored using scientific methods
• What is a consequence of much of psychology being unobservable?


  Much psychological knowledge is inferential
• What did Nisbett and Wilson (1977) claim about introspection?


  We have very little knowledge of the causes of our behavior and attitudes
• What issue did Nisbett and Wilson find particularly acute in studying implicit attitudes?


  Self-reports through introspection would not uncover them
• How has introspection made a comeback in recent years?


  It has been used to measure happiness as a phenomenon
• What method did Csikszentmihalyi and Hunter (2003) use to study happiness?


  They gave teenagers beepers to record their thoughts and feelings
• What did the entries from teenagers indicate about their happiness?


  Most indicated they were unhappy rather than happy
• How did focusing on a challenging task affect the teenagers' mood?


  They tended to be more upbeat
• What does introspection offer researchers in understanding happiness?


  A way to understand momentary conditions affecting happiness
• What are the key terms related to Wundt's approach and the emergence of psychology as a science?


  • Empiricism: Knowledge derived from sensory experience.
  • Introspection: Gaining knowledge about mental states through self-examination.
  • Scientific method: Objective, systematic, and replicable investigative methods.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Wundt's methods?


  Strengths:

  • Pioneered experimental psychology.
  • Established psychology as a distinct science.

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Reliance on nonobservable responses.
  • Lack of reliability and reproducibility.