Historical Perspectives = Experimental Psychology

Wilhelm Wundt

German scholar, “father of psychology”, in Prussia from late 1800s to early 1900s

Wundt Biography and Education

• not a scholar growing up but studied hard and won award at Heidelberg University

• studied medicine at University of Tubingen where he worked with von Helmholtz and influenced by Fechner

What were Wundt’s discoveries?

• established psychology as a field between physical science and social science

• developed research methods to test hypothesis

• published the Textbook of Human Physiology

• identified subfields like brain localization, personal equation

• formed 1st psychology lab @ University of Leipzig (reaction time)

What are Wundts contributions to psychology?

1. had the 1st psychology lab where he studied reaction times

2. 1st father of modern psychology

3. distinguished psychology as a science from philosophy and biology

4. 1st to call himself a psychologist

5. educated over 200 PhD students like James Cattell

What is automaticity and who identified it?

Wundt identified automaticity which is the idea that you can complete tasks with minimal effort after extensive practice

Wundt identified _______ psychology.

social

What is structuralism and who identified it?

Wundt identified structuralism which is a school of thought that focuses on understanding the consciousness as a structure and breaking it down into parts. It uses introspection, sensation and feelings.