Introspection and the Origins of Psychology

descartes quote

'i think, therefore i am'

when was descartes alive?

16th-17th century

what did descartes do?

• suggested the mind and brain were separate and can be studied separately

• opened the way of discussion surrounding the mind being an observable thing

what were pre-'scientists' called?

experimental philosophers

key points of experimental philosophy

• the mind could be studied

• many people suggested conflicting theories about the nature of the mind ^ this was all made up

what did wilhelm wundt do?

• opened first experimental psychology lab

• psychology becomes distinct discipline

• combined scientific methods with the twined concepts of introspection and structuralism

whats introspection?

examination/observation of one's own mental and emotional processes - these are reported

what is structuralism?

the belief that the mind is made up of different but connected parts and you can test them individually

when did wundt open the first experimental psychology lab?

1879

scientific methods of introspection

• most vital feature of wundt's approach was the emphasis on standardisation

• strictly controlled environments

• experiments were replicated to avoid EVs

how was introspection influential in psychology?

• stood as the pinnacle of psychological study

• the basis of psychodynamic approach

17th - 19th century (timeline)

• descartes

• psychology is a branch of philosophy

• definition was experimental philosophy

1879 (timeline)

• wundt opened first experimental psychology lab in germant

• emerges as a distinct discipline in its own right

• creation of modern science

1900 (timeline)

• sigmund freud emphasises the unconscious minds influence on our behaviour (theory)

• he creates person centred therapy (psychoanalysis)

1913 (timeline)

• john b watson writes 'psychology as the behaviourist views it'

• B.F. skinner and john establish the behavourist approach

1950 (1) (timeline)

• carl rogers and abraham maslow develop the humanistic approach

• it rejects behaviourist and psychodynamic views

• free will

1950 (2) (timeline)

• digital computers give psychologists a metaphor for the operations in the human mind

• the cognitive approach reintroduces the study of mental processes

what was the cognitive approach like in the 1950s (2)?

• there were only a small amount of people backing the approach

• they used science to explain the ideas in our heads

1960 (timeline)

• albert bandura proposes social learning theory

• draws attention to cognitive factors in learning

• links cognitive approach and behaviourism

1980 (timeline)

• biological approach

• dominant scientific perspective

• advances in technology increases the understanding of the brain

21st century (timeline)

• biology became a factor

• cognitive neuroscience emerges

• brings cognitive and biological approach together

• studies how biological structures influence mental processes

• cognitive scientists who absorb biological approaches

• all approaches are put back together

evaluation: scientific credibility (strength)

• wundt's work was systematic and well controlled

• were recorded in a controlled environment - no EVs

• procedures/instructions were carefully standardised -> all participants received the same information and were tested in the same way

evaluation: subjective data (weakness)

• would be considered unscientific today

• relied on patients self reporting their mental processes (subjective, patient may not be truthful)

• hard to establish 'laws of behaviour' from such data

evaluation: modern psychology (strength)

• can claim to be scientific -> same aims as natural science (describe, predict, understand and control behaviour)

• learning, cognitive and biological approaches rely on scientific methods

what is a paradigm?

thomas kuhn said science must have a paradigm: a set of principles, assumptions and methods that all people who work within that subject agree on

why is psychology not science according to thomas kuhn?

it doesn't have a paradigm as there is so much disagreement at it's core