Origins of psych

• Origins of Psychology AO1

  - Wundt - Father of Psychology

  - First Psychology Lab with high control - 1879 German

  - Introspection - Constituent parts

  - Structuralist - Components of the mind, breaking it down
• Origins of Psychology AO3 - strengths

  - Highly scientific for his time - controlled experiments, large sample sizes, transparent methods - systematic approach was an inspiration

  - Use of inference - influenced cognitive approach - experimental conditions - inferences of internal mental processes
• Origins of Psychology AO3 - limitations

  - Introspection is subjective - participants cannot be relied on to report mental states accurately

  - Inferences are assumptions - may not be accurate (behaviourism rejected study of internal processes - the mind is a "black box"
• What is psychology defined as?

  The scientific study of the brain and behavior
• How long has psychology been a field of science?

  About 150 years
• 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 approach did Wundt use in his research?

  Structuralism
• What is introspection in Wundt's research?

  Recording conscious experiences objectively
• Why is objectivity important in psychological research?

  To avoid bias in results and conclusions
• What is empiricism in the context of psychology?

  Basing conclusions on data collected from the world
• What is the main criticism of Wundt's introspective methods?

  Participants may provide biased self-reports
• How did behaviorists differ from Wundt's approach?

  They focused only on observable behavior
• What did Wundt's work inspire in later psychologists?

  To study the mind using controlled methods
• What is the significance of the scientific method in psychology?

  It ensures trust in psychological study results
• What is the role of hypotheses in scientific methodology?

  To be tested and modified based on observations
• Who is known as the father of experimental psychology?

  Wilhelm Wundt
• What did Wundt aim to change in the study of the mind?

  From philosophy to controlled empirical research
• How did Wundt's methods differ from those of behaviorists?

  Wundt used introspection, behaviorists did not
• What did Freud develop in psychology?

  The psychodynamic approach
• What is a key concept of Freud's psychodynamic theory?

  The existence of an unconscious mind
• How did social learning theorists build on behaviorism?

  By including internal mental processes in learning
• What do cognitive psychologists compare the mind to?

  A computer
• What is the focus of biological psychology?

  The relationship between brain and behavior
• What technological advancement has aided biological psychology?

  fMRI scanners
• What are the key psychological approaches introduced in the timeline of psychology?

  • Structuralism (Wundt)
  • Psychodynamics (Freud)
  • Behaviorism (Pavlov, Skinner)
  • Social Learning Theory
  • Humanism
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Biological Psychology
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Wundt's introspective methods?

  Strengths:

  • Pioneered scientific study of psychology
  • Established controlled experimental methods

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Subjective self-reports
  • Potential for bias and inaccuracies
• What is the significance of empirical methods in psychology?

  • They ensure data-driven conclusions
  • They allow for replication of studies
  • They minimize bias in research
• How did the development of psychology evolve over 250 years?

  • Transition from philosophy to empirical science
  • Introduction of various psychological approaches
  • Integration of technology in research methods