Origins of Psychology

• why did Wundt open a lab in Leipzig in Germany?

  first ever lab dedicated to psychological enquiry
• why was Wundt's work significant?

  marked the beginning of psychology
• what was Wundt's method?

  Introspection
• what was introspection?

  first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into 3 basic structures:

  • images
  • thoughts
  • sensations
• what is structuralism in context of Wundt?

  Wundt and his co-workers isolated the structure of consciousness
• what was Wundt's main objective?

  to try and develop theories about mental processes such as language and perception
• how was Wundt's method of data highly scientific ?

  pps would be given a ticking metronome to record their thoughts , images and sensations
• what is psychology?

  the scientific study of the mind , behaviour and expereince
• what is science?

  The pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world, following a systematic methodology based on evidence
• Strength : Wundt introspection

  P - methods were systematic and well-controlled

  E - all introspections were recorded in a controlled environment ensuring that any possible extraneous variables were not a factor. + ticking metronome was used to record the introspections which increased the accuracy of the results

  E - = procedures were all standardised so that all pps were tested in the same way removing any bias

  L - Wundt's research is able to be replicated as it was highly controlled
• Limitation: Wundt's introspection

  P - would be considered unscientific today

  E - Wundt relied on pps self- reporting their mental processes which makes their data subjective as there may have been demand characteristics (define it) = hidden thoughts

  E - difficult to establish meaningful 'laws of behaviour' which is useful to predict future behaviour (one of aims in science)

  L - Wundt's early efforts to study the mind were flawed and would not meet criteria of being scientific