Origins of psychology

Wilhelm Wundt

Known as the father of experimental psychology, he established the first laboratory dedicated to experimental psychology at Leipzig University in 1879.

Structuralism Approach

Wundt's approach using experimental methods to identify the basic building blocks of thought, focusing on sensation and perception.

Introspection

The process of observing and examining one's conscious thoughts or emotions, utilized by Wundt in controlled laboratory experiments.

Contributions to Psychology

Wundt wrote the first psychology textbook, set up the first experimental psychology laboratory, and applied scientific methods to study sensation and perception.

Challenges of Introspection

Participants needed training, leading to biased observations, and could only report a fragment of their thoughts, limiting awareness of decision-making processes.

Decline of Introspection

By 1913, behaviourism emerged as the dominant approach, sidelining introspection in scientific psychology.