Origins of psychology

• What is psychology defined as?

  The scientific study of the brain and behavior
• Why is psychology considered one of the youngest fields of science?

  It started around 150 years ago
• Who is considered the first person to study behavior scientifically?

  Wilhelm Wundt
• What did Wundt establish in the 1870s?

  The world's first psychological laboratory
• What is structuralism in psychology?

  Describing the mind's simplest components
• What method did Wundt use in his research?

  Introspection
• How did Wundt control his experiments?

  By controlling conditions and environment
• What is the significance of making inferences in Wundt's research?

  It allows assumptions about mental processes
• What is a criticism of Wundt's introspective methods?

  Participants may provide biased self-reports
• What did behaviorists focus on in psychology?

  Observable stimulus-response mechanisms
• How did behaviorists view the mind?

  As a black box
• Who are two key researchers in behaviorism?

  Pavlov and Skinner
• What did social learning theorists add to behaviorism?

  Internal mental processes in learning
• What is the main idea of humanistic psychology?

  Humans have free will in decision-making
• How do cognitive psychologists view the mind?

  Similar to a computer
• What tools have advanced biological psychology?

  fMRI scanners and DNA sequencing
• What are the key components of the scientific method in psychology?

  • Systematic observation
  • Controlled experimentation
  • Objectivity in research
  • Empirical data collection
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Wundt's approach to psychology?

  Strengths:

  • Established psychology as a science
  • Used controlled methods

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Subjective introspection
  • Reliance on inferences
• What are the main psychological approaches introduced in the timeline of psychology?

  1. Structuralism
  2. Psychodynamics
  3. Behaviorism
  4. Social Learning Theory
  5. Humanistic Psychology
  6. Cognitive Psychology
  7. Biological Psychology
• What are the implications of Wundt's work on modern psychology?

  • Laid foundation for experimental methods
  • Influenced later psychological approaches
  • Highlighted importance of scientific research
• How did the views of behaviorists differ from those of humanists?

  • Behaviorists focus on observable behavior
  • Humanists emphasize free will and self-actualization
• What role does empirical evidence play in psychology?

  • Validates theories
  • Supports scientific methodology
  • Reduces bias in research