Wundt and introspection

• Wundt opened first psychology lab, moving away from philosophy

  1879
• Wundt's research methods


  • Used introspection
  • First systematic attempt at studying brain by breaking stimuli into 3 categories: thoughts, images and sensation
• Structuralism


  Isolating the consciousness of the brain
• In the 17th – 19th century, psychology was seen as a part of philosophy
• Wundt opens first psychology lab

  1879
• Freud proposes psychodynamic theory


  Early 1900s
• Watson and Skinner establish behaviourist approach


  Early 1900s
• Rodgers and Maslow devise the humanistic approach


  1950s
• Cognitive approach emerges


  1960s
• Bandura proposes the social learning theory


  1960s
• Biological approach becomes popular

  1980s
• Cognitive neuroscience emerges


  End of 20th century
• Wundt's research methods


  • Used scientific methods
  • All introspections were recorded in a lab setting
  • Removed the influence of extraneous variables
  • Used standardized procedures
• Wundt's research can be seen as unscientific as he relied on participants self-reporting their mental processes, producing subjective data as participants may have hidden true thoughts
• Not all approaches use objective methods. Humanistic approach rejects scientific methods and instead focuses on individual experiences. Psychodynamic approach uses case studies. Therefore, a scientific approach may not have always been desirable or possible