Origins of Psychology - AO3

• Strength


  Real life application
• Hunter used introspective methods

  • Gave teenagers beepers that triggered at random times, they had to write down their thoughts and feelings prior to the beep
• Wundt's method of introspection may be unpopular

  But is successfully used in some psychologists' research, suggesting that introspection still has a role to play in psychology today
• Limitation


  Introspection isn't particularly reliable
• Nisbett and Wilson suggest


  • People have little knowledge of the causes of their behaviour and attitudes
  • Nisbett and Wilson found participants were unaware of the factors that influenced their choice of a consumer item
• This suggests that the introspective approach lacks accuracy as our attitudes exist outside of conscious awareness and therefore introspection wouldn't uncover them
• Although introspection lacks accuracy


  It's still useful as Hunter et al. used it to measure happiness, meaning that it can help in understanding the conditions that affect happiness
• Introspection


  Isn't objective
• You cannot physically see it and it isn't empirical evidence


  • Thoughts and feelings cannot be seen
  • People can lie and not tell the truth
• This suggests that because it cannot be seen and people lie, the results shown may lack validity and accuracy
• The scientific method on the other hand


  Relies on objectivity and systematic observation, meaning that in some way a cause and effect relationship can be established and the fact that it's constantly developing and improving itself