AO1 Origins of Psychology

• What is the definition of psychology?


  The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those functions affecting behaviour in a given context
• Who is considered the father of Psychology?

  Wilhelm Wundt
• Where and when did Wundt open the first psychological lab?

  Leipzig, Germany in 1879
• What is structuralism?


  The belief that the mind can be broken down into components of consciousness
• What is introspection?

  Process by which someone examines their own conscious experience and cognitive processes (thoughts and feelings)
• Why are the methods used by Wundt recognised as ‘scientific’?

  All introspections were recorded under strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus every time. The same standardised instructions were issued to all participants, and this allowed procedures to be repeated (replicated) every single time.