Wundt and Introspection

Wundt's role in the development of psychology

Opened the first ever psychological lab in Leipzig, Germany in 1879.
Was the first person to seperate psychology from philosophy - is known as the "founding father of psychology".
He tried to make it scientific - had controlled conditions and used the same stimulus everytime (such as ticking metronome).
Promoted the use of introspection as a way of studying mental processes.
Introspection - systematic analysis of own conscious experience of a stimulus.
An experience was analysed in terms of its component parts e.g. sensations, emotional reaction etc.
His work paved the way for later controlled research and the study of mental processes e.g. by cognitive psychologists.

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