The Origins of Psychology

• Psychology: the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behaviour in a given context.
• Science: the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained
• Introspection: The first systematic experimental attempt to study the mind by breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations.
• In 1873, Wilhelm Wundt published the first book on Psychology, 'Principles of Physiological Psychology' and in 1879 opened the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany. He is often considered the father of psychology.


  His approach to psychology was to study the structure of the human mind, by breaking down behaviours into their basic elements, hence his approach became known as structuralism.
• Structuralism: A school of thought that aimed to break down complex mental processes into simpler components or ‘structures’ which could be studied independently. It focused on introspection (looking within) and used it to identify these structures. Structuralists believed that consciousness consisted of simple elements called sensations and ideas. These were combined together to form more complex experiences such as emotions and memories.
• Introspection


  Wundt's method of documenting his own and his co-workers' conscious thoughts
• Introspection method


  1. Participants reflect on their own cognitive processes

  2. Describe their cognitive processes
• Introspection method

  • Recorded in strictly controlled conditions
  • Used the same stimulus every time
  • Gave the same standardised instructions to all participants
  • Allowed procedures to be repeated every single time
• Wundt's work marked the separation of psychology from its philosophical roots and its transition into modern scientific psychology
• Watson and the early behaviourists: The value of introspection was being questioned most notably by the behaviourist John B Watson. His problem was that the data was mainly subjective, so the results varied too much from person to person. Therefore it was hard to come up with general principles. He felt scientific psychology should only study the phenomena that could be observed and measured. Thus the behavioural approach was born.
• Watson (1913) and later B.F. Skinner (1953) brought the language, rigour and methods of the natural sciences. The behaviourist approach focuses on the scientific process in learning, alongside the use of carefully controlled lab experiments, would dominate Psychology for the next 50 years.
• Since the cognitive resolution, the study of mental processes is now seen as a legitimate and highly scientific area within Psychology.
• The biological approach also makes use of experimental data. Researchers within this area have taken advantage of the recent advances in technology to study the brain and behaviour. They include studying live activity in the brain using MRI scans and EEGs.
• Wundt's new scientific approach to psychology was based on two major assumptions:

  1. All behaviour is seen as being caused (determined).
  2. If behaviour is determined, then it should be possible to predict how humans would behave in different conditions (predictability).
• Cartesian Dualism: The idea that the mind and body are separate entities.
• Empiricism (John Locke): The idea that knowledge is based on experience and observation (sensory experiences).