Wundt and Introspection
- Created by: theninjaemu
- Created on: 16-02-17 16:16
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- Wundt and Introspection
- Wundt's lab
- Opened in Leipzig, Germany, 1879
- The aim was to describe the nature of human consciousness
- This was done in a lab
- Carefully controlled environment
- Scientific environment
- Introspection
- First systematic experimental method attempt to study the mind
- Breaking up conscious awareness into basic structures of thoughts, images and sensations
- This is called structuralism
- Standardised procedures
- The same standardised instructions were given to all participants
- This meant procedures could be replicated
- E.g. participants were given a ticking metronome
- Thoughts, feelings and sensations were reported and rcorded
- Significance of Wundt's work
- His attempts are often seen as naive today
- His work was significant as it marked the separation of modern scientific psychology from its broader philosophical roots
- S: Aspects would be classed as scientific today
- E.g. introspections were recorded in a controlled, lab environment
- He standardised procedures so all participants were tested in the same way
- Research can be considered a forerunner to the later scientific approaches
- L: Some aspects can be considered unscientific today
- Wundt relied on participants self reporting their mental processes
- Subjective data, so some participants may not have wanted to report what they felt
- Establishing general principles wouldn't have been possible
- Participants wouldn't have had exactly the same thoughts every time
- General laws are useful to predict future behaviour
- Naive methods that don't meet the criteria of scientific enquiry
- Wundt's lab
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