,Origins of Psychology
Structuralism
Key terms: Structuralism is Isolating the structure of consciousness. The stimuli that
• Introspection: The first systematic experimental Wundt and his co-workers experienced were always presented in the same
attempt to study the mind by breaking up order and the same instructions were issued to all participants.
conscious awareness into basic structures of
thoughts, images and sensations. 1900s - Behaviourist
• Psychology: The scientific study of the mind, By the beginning of the 20th century, the value of introspection was
behaviour and experience. questioned by many, most notably the behaviourist John B. Watson. The
problem was that introspection produced subjective data (rather than
Wundts Lab objective), so that it was very difficult to establish general laws. Watson,
In 1879 Wilhelm Wundt opened the first ever lab and later B.F. Skinner, proposed that a truly scientific psychology should only
dedicated entirely to psychological enquiry in a little study phenomena that can be observed objectively and measured. For this
town called Leipzig in Germany. Wundt's work is reason, behaviourists focused on behaviours that they could see, and used
significant because it marked the beginning of carefully controlled experiments. The behaviourist approach would go on to
scientific psychology, separating it from its broader dominate scientific psychology for the next 50 years.
philosophical roots. Wundt's aim was to try to analyse
the nature of human consciousness, and thus 1950s - Cognitive
represented the first systematic attempt to study the The digital revolution of the 1950 gave a new generation of psychologists a
mind under controlled conditions. His pioneering metaphor for studying the mind. Cognitive psychologists likened the mind to
method became known as introspection. a computer (e.g. the multi-store model) and tested their predictions about
memory and attention using experiments. The cognitive approach ensured
Standardised procedures that the study of the mind was, once again, a legitimate and highly scientific
One of Wundt's main objectives was to try and aspect of the discipline.
develop theories about mental processes, such as
language and perception. He and his co-workers 1980s - Biological
recorded their experiences of various stimuli they In more recent times, the biological approach has taken scientific psychology
were presented with, such as different objects or to new levels. Researchers within this area have taken advantage of
sounds. They would divide their observations into advances in technology to investigate physiological processes as they
three categories: thoughts, images and sensations. happen. An example of this is the use of sophisticated scanning techniques
such as fRI and EEG to study live activity in the brain. New methods (e.g.
For instance, participants might be given a ticking genetic testing) have also allowed us to better understand the relationship
metronome and they would report their thoughts, bet ween genes and behaviour.
images and sensations.
, Evaluation (well controlled environment)
P: One strength of Wundt's work is that some of his methods were systematic and
well-controlled (i.e. scientific).
E: All introspections were recorded in the controlled environment of the lab,
ensuring that possible extraneous variables were not a factor. Procedures and Evaluation (not all approaches use objective
instructions were carefully standardised so that all participants received the methods)
same information and were tested in the same way. P: Another limitation with psychology is that not
E: This suggests that Wundt's research can be considered a forerunner to later all approaches use objective methods.
scientific approaches in psychology, such as the behaviourist approach. E: The humanistic approach rejects the scientific
CA: However some psychologist may argue that a controlled environment might approach, preferring to focus on individual
not truly capture the complexity of mental processes as they occur in real life - experiences and subjective experience. The
lab studies create artificial conditions that don't reflect the natural context. There psychodynamic approach makes use of the case
is also the risk that this could lead to demand characteristics study method which does not use representative
C: Despite this its still a strength because a controlled lab studies increase the samples. The subject of study - human beings - are
applicability of the study active participants in research, responding for
example to demand characteristics.
Evaluation (Aspects of research are unscientific) E: Therefore a scientific approach to the study of
P: One limitation of Wundt's work is that other aspects of Wundt's research would human thought and experience may not always be
be considered unscientific today. desirable or possible.
E: Wundt relied on participants self-reporting their mental processes. Such data is CA: However some psychologists may argue that
subjective (influenced by a personal perspective). Also participants may have objective methods are essential for establishing
hidden some of their thoughts. It is difficult to establish meaningful laws of reliable and generalisable findings. They might
behaviour from such data. And general laws are useful to predict future claim that without empirical evidence and
behaviour, one of the aims of science. replicable procedures, psychological theories risk
E: This suggests that some of Wundt's early efforts to study the mind were flawed becoming speculative and lacking credibility.
and would not meet the criteria of scientific enquiry. C: Despite this it's still a weakness because using
CA: However some psychologist may argue that Introspection laid foundational human beings respond to demand characteristics.
work for understanding human consciousness, prompting later researchers to
develop more sophisticated, objective methods.
C: Despite this it’s still a weakness because participant may change their
behaviour (social desirability bias).
Structuralism
Key terms: Structuralism is Isolating the structure of consciousness. The stimuli that
• Introspection: The first systematic experimental Wundt and his co-workers experienced were always presented in the same
attempt to study the mind by breaking up order and the same instructions were issued to all participants.
conscious awareness into basic structures of
thoughts, images and sensations. 1900s - Behaviourist
• Psychology: The scientific study of the mind, By the beginning of the 20th century, the value of introspection was
behaviour and experience. questioned by many, most notably the behaviourist John B. Watson. The
problem was that introspection produced subjective data (rather than
Wundts Lab objective), so that it was very difficult to establish general laws. Watson,
In 1879 Wilhelm Wundt opened the first ever lab and later B.F. Skinner, proposed that a truly scientific psychology should only
dedicated entirely to psychological enquiry in a little study phenomena that can be observed objectively and measured. For this
town called Leipzig in Germany. Wundt's work is reason, behaviourists focused on behaviours that they could see, and used
significant because it marked the beginning of carefully controlled experiments. The behaviourist approach would go on to
scientific psychology, separating it from its broader dominate scientific psychology for the next 50 years.
philosophical roots. Wundt's aim was to try to analyse
the nature of human consciousness, and thus 1950s - Cognitive
represented the first systematic attempt to study the The digital revolution of the 1950 gave a new generation of psychologists a
mind under controlled conditions. His pioneering metaphor for studying the mind. Cognitive psychologists likened the mind to
method became known as introspection. a computer (e.g. the multi-store model) and tested their predictions about
memory and attention using experiments. The cognitive approach ensured
Standardised procedures that the study of the mind was, once again, a legitimate and highly scientific
One of Wundt's main objectives was to try and aspect of the discipline.
develop theories about mental processes, such as
language and perception. He and his co-workers 1980s - Biological
recorded their experiences of various stimuli they In more recent times, the biological approach has taken scientific psychology
were presented with, such as different objects or to new levels. Researchers within this area have taken advantage of
sounds. They would divide their observations into advances in technology to investigate physiological processes as they
three categories: thoughts, images and sensations. happen. An example of this is the use of sophisticated scanning techniques
such as fRI and EEG to study live activity in the brain. New methods (e.g.
For instance, participants might be given a ticking genetic testing) have also allowed us to better understand the relationship
metronome and they would report their thoughts, bet ween genes and behaviour.
images and sensations.
, Evaluation (well controlled environment)
P: One strength of Wundt's work is that some of his methods were systematic and
well-controlled (i.e. scientific).
E: All introspections were recorded in the controlled environment of the lab,
ensuring that possible extraneous variables were not a factor. Procedures and Evaluation (not all approaches use objective
instructions were carefully standardised so that all participants received the methods)
same information and were tested in the same way. P: Another limitation with psychology is that not
E: This suggests that Wundt's research can be considered a forerunner to later all approaches use objective methods.
scientific approaches in psychology, such as the behaviourist approach. E: The humanistic approach rejects the scientific
CA: However some psychologist may argue that a controlled environment might approach, preferring to focus on individual
not truly capture the complexity of mental processes as they occur in real life - experiences and subjective experience. The
lab studies create artificial conditions that don't reflect the natural context. There psychodynamic approach makes use of the case
is also the risk that this could lead to demand characteristics study method which does not use representative
C: Despite this its still a strength because a controlled lab studies increase the samples. The subject of study - human beings - are
applicability of the study active participants in research, responding for
example to demand characteristics.
Evaluation (Aspects of research are unscientific) E: Therefore a scientific approach to the study of
P: One limitation of Wundt's work is that other aspects of Wundt's research would human thought and experience may not always be
be considered unscientific today. desirable or possible.
E: Wundt relied on participants self-reporting their mental processes. Such data is CA: However some psychologists may argue that
subjective (influenced by a personal perspective). Also participants may have objective methods are essential for establishing
hidden some of their thoughts. It is difficult to establish meaningful laws of reliable and generalisable findings. They might
behaviour from such data. And general laws are useful to predict future claim that without empirical evidence and
behaviour, one of the aims of science. replicable procedures, psychological theories risk
E: This suggests that some of Wundt's early efforts to study the mind were flawed becoming speculative and lacking credibility.
and would not meet the criteria of scientific enquiry. C: Despite this it's still a weakness because using
CA: However some psychologist may argue that Introspection laid foundational human beings respond to demand characteristics.
work for understanding human consciousness, prompting later researchers to
develop more sophisticated, objective methods.
C: Despite this it’s still a weakness because participant may change their
behaviour (social desirability bias).
