The Origins of Psychology

What is Psychology?

• Psychology is the scientifc study of the mind and behaviour.
• Psychologists look at what people and animals do, why they do it, and how they feel.,
• It is a science so everything has to be investigated.
• You need to come up with a theory and then scientifically investigate it.

Reductionism

• Things can be reduced to cause-and-effect processes.
• Wundt believed that the underlying structure of human experience can be broken down into smaller measurable parts using introspection.

But is Psychology a science?

• To make something a science:

1. Objectivity- Nonj-biased or influenced.

2. Control - under controlled conditions.

3. Predictability - use results to predict further behaviour.

4. Hypothesis testing- Theories generate predictions which can either strengthen or disprove the theory.

5. Replication - People should have confidence in the results, so when they do it, they get the…