Origins of Psychology

• What is psychology defined as?

  The scientific study of the human mind and behaviour
• What are the four goals of psychology?

  1. Description - tells us "what" occurred
  2. Explanation - tells us "why" a behaviour or mental process occurred
  3. Prediction - identifies conditions for future behaviours
  4. Change - applies knowledge to prevent unwanted behaviour and bring about desired change
• Who is often considered the father of psychology?

  Wilhelm Wundt
• Why is Wilhelm Wundt significant in psychology?

  He published the first book on psychology and opened the first psychology laboratory
• What was the title of Wundt's first book on psychology?

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

  1879
• What approach did Wundt use to study psychology?

  He studied the structure of the human mind through structuralism
• What mental processes was Wundt particularly interested in?

  Sensation, perception, memory, etc.
• What method did Wundt use in his experiments?

  Introspection
• What is introspection in Wundt's research?

  • Asking participants to reflect on their own thoughts
  • Involves conscious examination
  • Participants presented with stimuli (e.g., metronome, light)
  • Comparison of participants to control variables
• What is a limitation of Wundt's introspection method?

  It often lacked reliability due to varying results among researchers
• Why is the data from introspection considered subjective?

  Because it relies on personal reflections and experiences
• What is a criticism regarding the generalizability of Wundt's research?

  His experiments were usually on individuals, making it hard to generalize findings
• What positive contribution did Wundt make to psychology?

  He paved the way for more scientific approaches by using experimentation