Wundt's work and Introspection

• Wilhelm Wundt


  Was known as the father of psychology and was the first person to set up a psychological laboratory in Germany in 1879. He set out to investigate the structure of the mind by investigating peoples thoughts using a method called introspection.
• Introspection


  This is a reflection process, which can be used to analyse one's own thought processes, including feelings, emotions and sensations. Wundt trained his researchers to analyse their internal thought processes. They were presented with visual and auditory stimuli and then reported their feelings. These were then analysed for patterns and trends so that theories could be made.
• Limitation for introspection

  • Subjective which is when a theory is based on personal opinion rather than being objective and testable. With introspection, psychologists are trying to objectively study unobservable matter e.g. thoughts. It is the subjective interpretation of this which makes it difficult for modern psychologists to apply accurately. This suggests that establishing general principles using introspection would not have been possible, and as general laws are useful to predict future behaviour, and are one of the features of science, introspection cannot be considered scientific.
• Limitation of introspection

  • Unscientific which is when a theory is based on unscientific and subjective concepts, which cannot be measured objectively. Nisbett and Wilson question the validity of introspection as many aspects of our minds are outside of our conscious awareness. Therefore, introspection cannot be used effectively to make inferences about behaviour as participants may not be able to articulate or access some thoughts, images and sensations.
• Emergence of Psychology as a science

  • Behaviourists disagreed with Wundt's method of using introspection as they reject all unseen human experience and only focus on observable, measurable behaviour.
  • Cognitive psychologists disagreed with the behaviourists, as they believe that unseen experiences such as thought processes cannot be ignored, as they play an important role in anticipating observed behaviour.
  • Biological Psychologists disagreed that environmental factors were important, instead they believe that biology determine both thoughts and behaviours.
• Emergence of Psychology as a science

  Since Wundt's work, psychology has continued to develop into a science, due to the obvious limitations of introspection, psychologists have adopted different scientific methods to investigate the mind and human behaviour.

  Wundt's work on introspection paved the way for other psychologists, as after his work on introspection, other psychologists came forward with different theories, as they disagreed that thoughts, sensations and emotions could be measured using introspection.