Origins of Psychology

    Cards (42)

    • What did Wilheim Wundt believe? 

      The human mind could be studied scientifically
    • What is Wundt seen as the first person to do? 

      Make psychology scientific and separate it from philosophy.
    • What did Wundt set up in 1879, Leipzig, Germany? 

      The first ever laboratory dedicated to psychological investigations
    • What types of behaviour did Wundt study?

      Behaviours that could be strictly controlled under experimental conditions
    • What was Wundt's aim? 

      To study the structure of the human mind by breaking down behaviours into their basic elements. This approach was referred to structuralism and the technique he used as introspection.
    • Define Introspection
      A psychological method which involved in analysing your own thoughts and feelings internally.
    • What did Wundt encourage his Ps to do? 

      Reflect on thoughts, feelings and sensations in response to different stimuli or different objects. His Ps had to self-report what they were experiencing
    • Explain how Introspection was scientific

      All introspections were recorded under strictly controlled conditions.
      Standardised instructions issued to all Ps and this allowed procedures to be replicated.
    • Evaluate Wundt and Introspection
      Research was not scientific
      Lack of reliability
      Introspection is still considered useful
    • Give a Point paragraph to explain how Wundt's research wasn't scientific

      Although Wundt was attempting to be scientific, other psychologists such as the behaviourists have criticised Wundt's approach.
    • Give a Example paragraph to explain how Wundt's research wasn't scientific

      The behaviorists said that 'private' experiences such as sensations and thoughts were self-reported during introspection are not observable and are therefore difficult to measure. The experiences that Wundt's Ps were reporting were subjective. Behaviorists believe the only way to be more objective and scientific is by attempting to measure observable behavior.  
    • Give an Link paragraph to explain how Wundts research was not scientific 

      This is a weakness because such criticism undermines the objectivity of Wundt's work. 
    • Give a However paragraph to explain how Wundt's research was not scientific

      The fact that Wundt asked Ps to self-report their data e.g. their own opinions can be considered idiographic. This is a strength as Wundt appreciated and valued Ps personal opinions opposed to asking a selected sample and making nomothetic generalizations. 
    • Give a Point paragraph to evaluate how Wundt's approach lacked reliability
      Wundt's approach also failed due to the lack of reliability of his methods
    • Give a Example paragraph to evaluate how Wundt's approach lacked reliability

      When replicated his Ps did not have exactly the same thoughts every time they engaged in introspection. Similarly, other psychologists failed to achieve similar results when they tried to replace Wundt's introspection method.
    • Give a Link paragraph to evaluate how Wundt's approach lacked reliability
      This is a weakness because it meant that Wundt couldn't establish general theories about the workings of the mind.
    • Give a However paragraph to evaluate how Wundt's approach lacked reliability

      One strength was early Behaviourists such as Pavlov were already achieving reliably reproducing results and discovering explanatory principles that could be easily generalised to all human beings.
    • Give a Point paragraph to evaluate how Wundt's Introspection is still considered useful

      Historically, psychologists fell out of favour with introspection being used as a research tool, however, it has recently made a comeback
    • Give a Example paragraph to evaluate how Wundt's Introspection is still considered useful

      Hunter (2003) used introspective methods as way of making "happiness" a measurable phenomenon. They gave a group of teenagers a beeper that went off at a random times, they then had to write down their feelings in the moment before the bleeper. Most of the findings showed that the teenagers were unhappy opposed to happy. But when they were engaged in a challenging task they tended to be more upbeat.
    • Give a Link paragraph to evaluate how Wundt's Introspection is still considered useful

      This is a strength as it shows how the self-report methods of introspection can be used in our current day to help provide feedback on individuals mental health and ultimately help improve their well-being.
    • Give a However paragraph to evaluate how Wundt's Introspection is still considered useful

      Some psychologists claim that we have very little knowledge of the causes and processes underlying our behaviour and attitudes. Because such feelings exist outside of conscious awareness, self-reports through introspection would not uncover them. This therefore challenges the value of introspective reports in explaining the roots of our behaviour.
    • What do Empiricist believe? 

      Knowledge comes from observations and experience alone opposed to having a biological foundation.
      Empirical methods were first applied to the study of human beings by Wundt and his followers, psychology began to emerge as a distinct entity.
    • What assumptions were the empirical scientific approach based on?

      • All behaviour is seen as being caused (determinism) and secondly if behaviour is determined then it should be possible to predict how human beings would behave in different conditions
      • The technique used to explore these assumptions became known as the scientific method
    • What does the scientific method refer to?

      Methods that are objective and replicable. It is objective when the researchers do not let preconceived ideas or biases influence the collection of data. It is replicable when psychologists can repeat studies in order to determine whether the same results are obtained.
    • Name 2 behaviourists
      Watson
      Skinner
    • What did Watson and Skinner believe? 

      That true scientific psychology should just study things that can be observed and measured instead of 'private' mental processes and began to focus on using scientific processes to understand how behaviour is learned.
    • List 4 investigative methods
      • Objective (Recorded without bias not influenced by other factors)
      • Replicable (Replicated exactly)
      • Controlled (Under controlled conditions)
      • Predictable (results should predict future behaviour)
    • What are cognitive psychologists? 

      They see the study of mental processes as a highly scientific area within psychology and liken the mind to a computer. Although these mental processes cannot be observed cognitive psychologists are able to make influences on how these work by conducting scientific lav experiments on Ps.
    • Describe the Biological Approach
      Used technology to investigate physiological processes as they happen. (MRI scans)
      New methods (genetic testing) have also allowed us to better understand the relationship between genes and behaviour.
    • Give 3 evaluative points on the emergence of psychology as a science. 

      • Modern psychology is scientific
      • Subjective data when studying psychology
      • Contribution to other psychological approaches
    • Give a Point paragraph to evaluate on how the emergence of psychology as a science isn't scientific
      One strength is that research in modern psychology can claim to be scientific
    • Give a Example paragraph to evaluate on how the emergence of psychology as a science isn't scientific
      Psychology has the same aims as the natural sciences; to describe, understand, predict and control behaviour. The Cognitive and biological approach all rely on the use of scientific methods. For example, lab studies investigate theories in a controlling and unbiased way.  
    • Give a Link paragraph to evaluate on how the emergence of psychology as a science isn't scientific 

      This is a strength because it suggests that throughout the 20th century and beyond, psychology has established itself as a scientific discipline. Additionally, this is a strength because the researcher can be verified, so replication, prediction and a control of behaviour is easy. 
    • Give a However paragraph to evaluate on how the emergence of psychology as a science isn't scientific
      Due to the nomothetic approach of studying a large number of people and then making generalizations about their behaviour, this is a weakness as the uniqueness of an individual is therefore lost. 
    • Give a Point paragraph on how data is subjective when studying psychology
      One limitation of the emergence of psychology as a science is that not all approaches use objective measures
    • Give a Example paragraph on how data is subjective when studying psychology

      For example, the humanistic approach rejects science and focuses on individual and subjective experiences. Also studying human participants in research means that they often respond to demand characteristics (are not objective) 
    • Give a Link paragraph on how data is subjective when studying psychology
      This is a weakness because the scientific approach to studying human thought and experience may not always be desirable or possible. 
    • Give a However paragraph on how data is subjective when studying psychology

      One strength of the humanistic approach is it takes a positive view of the human condition and ‘brings the human back to psychology’. Humanistic psychology's view that humans are essentially free and will seek to do good to achieve our potential is one that gives us a reason to think that the world can be a better place.
    • Give a Point paragraph on ' Contribution to other Psychological Approaches'
      Wundt's methods have often been seen as the start of cognitive psychology
    • Give a Example paragraph on ' Contribution to other Psychological Approaches'
      Cognitive psychology is a modern-day psychological approach, and it does attempt to measure what is happening in the mind using scientific methods. Without Wundt some have questioned if cognitive psychology would exist today.
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