AO3

• Introspection technique is subjective.

  -          Behaviourists e.g. Watson argue Wundt’s introspection technique is unreliable because the gathered data is subjective e.g. great variation from person to person.

  -          Hence it is very difficult to establish general principles especially as introspective ‘experimental’ results have not been reliably produced by other researchers.

  -          In order for it to be purely scientific psychology should restrict itself only to studying phenomenon that can be observed and measured objectively.
• Introspection is not falsifiable.

  -          An introspection is private and based on an individual’s own interpretation of the stimuli (this depends on their own knowledge and experiences), meaning that the evidence cannot be falsified. Consequently, it does not meet Popper’s requirements for a scientific method.
• Scientific approach to psychology:

  • Relies on objective and systematic methods of observation, acquiring knowledge using the scientific method
  • Scientific theories can be modified or discarded if they no longer fit the facts, making scientific knowledge self-corrective
  • Psychologists repeat each other's experiments, making it difficult for a theory that does not explain the facts to exist for long
• By focusing on objectivity and control in observations, scientific psychologists create artificial situations that provide limited insight into how people behave in more natural (real-life) environments