origins of psyschology

aqa a-level psychology approaches

wilhelm wundt dates

1832-1920

where and when was the first psychology lab?

leipzig, germany, 1879

introspection

the process by which a person gains knowledge about their own mental and emotional states

why is wilhelm wundt the father of psychology?

• published 1st book on psychology - ‘Principles of Physiological Psychology’

• opened first psychology lab

• paved the way for acceptance of psych

• created structuralism approach

• 1st person to call himself a psychologist

structuralism

studying the structure of the human mind by breaking down behaviours into their basic elements

when has introspection been used recently?

Griffiths (1994) used introspection to study fruit machine gamblers, asking them to think aloud into mics

the scientific method

refers to investigative methods that are objective, empirically tested and replicable

empiricism

the belief that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience

what is wundt’s scientific method based on?

• all behaviour is seen as being determined

• if behaviour is determined, then behaviour is predictable

objective

no bias/preconceived ideas influencing data

systematic

carried out in an ordered way/accurate

replicable

can be repeated by other researchers to determine whether the same results are obtained

what are the strengths of origins of psychology?

• reliance on objectivity & scientific obervsations - knowledge is more than passive acceptance of facts

• determinist - able to establish cause and effect

• scientific theories can be refined or abandoned if they do not fit the facts - self-corrective

what are the weaknesses of the origins of psychology?

• unreliable methods - non-observable - memory + perception - experimental - early behaviourists were achieving reliable results

• introspection not accurate - Nisbett & Wilson - little knowledge of causes and processes underlying behaviour - found pps unaware of influential factors in consumerism - hard to study implicit attitudes e.g., ethnocentrism

• focus on lab studies - lacks ecological validity

• much subject matter is unobservable so low degree of accuracy

• not all psychologists believe human behaviour can be explored through scientific methods