Behaviourist Approach

Early Psychology and Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920)
- Opened the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig in 1879.
- Developed the process of Introspection: well-trained researchers self-reported their mental experiences.
- Wundt is often considered the Father of Psychology for establishing psychology as a formal discipline.
Shift to Behaviourism and John B. Watson (1878–1958)
- Watson, influenced by Pavlov and Thorndike, discredited Introspection as unscientific.
- Argued Introspection was subjective, unmeasurable, unquantifiable, and unfalsifiable.
- Played a crucial role in shifting psychology's focus from the mind to observable behaviour.
- Watson is often referred to as the Father of Behaviourism.
- Prior to behaviourism, psychology was closely aligned with philosophy, relying heavily on self-report.

Focus on Behaviour: Behaviourists study individuals by observing their actual behaviours.
Environmental Learning: Behaviour is explained in terms of how individuals learn from their environment.
Stimulus-Response (S-R) Approach: Learning is conceptualized as a direct link between a stimulus and a response.
Definition of Learning: Learning is defined as the acquisition of new knowledge or skills.
Emphasis on Science: The behaviourist approach was, and remains, highly influential in experimental psychology, establishing psychology as a scientific discipline through its objective methods, particularly experimentation.

The behaviourist approach primarily identifies two main theories of learning:

Pioneer: Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936).
Discovery: Pavlov, while studying the digestive system of dogs, noticed that dogs would salivate before food was actually presented, in response to important cues (e.g., the researcher opening the door).
Core Concept: Learning by association.
Process: A neutral stimulus becomes associated with a naturally occurring reflex response.
- Natural Reflex: Dogs naturally salivate (reflex response) when they smell food.
- Learned Association: Dogs learned to associate the