Origins in psychology

Origins of Psychology AO1

Wilhem Wundt and introspection (p124)

• Wilhem Wundt (W.W) belived the mind could be studied scientifically

• W.W established psychology as a science and experimentation as method of choice

• Believed the human mind is a construction of basic elements, sensation and perception (structuralist approach)

Emergance of psychology as a science

• W.W's approach was based on empiricism, a hallmark of the scientific method, which helped to establish psychology as a science

• W.W adopted 2 scientific assumptions:
  • behaviour has a cause (determinism)
  • therefore it is predictable

Scientific method in psychology

• Scientific method: use of investigative methods that are objective, systematic and reproducable

• Objective: preconceptions or biases do not influence data collection

• Systematic: measurement/recording of data is carried out with precision and control

• Reproducable: others can carry out the same method and get the …