Outline and evaluate the emergence of psychology as a science (A01)
•Wundt - Known as the father of psychology
•Set up the world first experimental psychological lab.
•Worked at Leipzig Germany in the 1870’s.
•Promoted the use of introspection as a way of studying mental processes
•Empirical research
•used the scientific method to study sensations and emotional reactions via structuralism
(Basic building blocks of thoughts)
What is introspection
Introspection is the systematic analysis of ones own conscious experience - thought processes, feelings, emotions and sensations towards a stimulus.
(Inferences/not direct)
Trains people to analyze and report their inner thoughts and then break them into seperate parts.
How did Wunt carry out his method of introspection
In Wundts Uni room: The participants asked to record there own conscious thoughts as objective as possible (constituent parts).
Participants presented with controlled stimuli (visual audios or auditory tones). E.g all instropections the same stimulus of a ticking metronome
Participant would systematically report their experince and the analysis of there experince
Objectivity
Objectivity is basing finding on facts and and observable things, rather then personal opinions or bias.
Avoids personal beliefs affecting the experiment -> confirmation bias
Empirical method/ empiricism:
Gaining knowledge from systematic observation and experimentation. Conclusions are also collected/verified from the world and dosent accept just theory and what can’t be observed
Falsifiability:
When it is possible to prove a statement, hypothesis or theory wrong.
Only possible if the study is replicable and the hypothesis is opertaionalised/testable.
Theory construction and hypothesis testing:
In order to make scientific progress, it must be possible to test and falsify a theory. The theory therefore must be rigid and the hypothesis operationalised.
Paradigms and paradigm shifting:
A paradigm is a set of distinct concepts or thought patterns within a specific domain. A paradigm shift happens when a theory is falsified and a new paradigm is created based on the newly discovered Information
Replicability:
The extent to which a study can be repeated so that the reliability and falsiability of results can be judged.
What are the 6 features of science
•The empirical method
•Objectivity
•Reliability
•Falsifiability
•Theory construction and hypothesis testing
• Paridigms and paradigm shifts
Evaluation of Wundts method and the scientific approach.
(+) (P) Introspection is that is still being used as useful by modern psychologists. (E) FE, Hunter etc al (2003) used introspective methods as a way of making happiness a measurable ‘phenomenon’ he gave a group of students a buzzer to go around with for a day and as it went off for them to immediately report there feelings the moment before the beep. Entries indicated teens were unhappy rather them happy. - Hunter et al also found when focused on a challenging task they tended to be more upbeat. (E) This is a strength because it demonstrates how introspection is a useful tool that can still be used to give a greater understanding of human behaviour tday and the long lasting influence of wundt onto psychology.
(-) Limitation of wundts research Is that his method was not scientific. (E) FE Psychologists (behaviourists) such as watson, criticizes introspection for being non empirical and subjective because it relied on on responses for processes that are non observable and that are different for each person. (E) TIIB his research cant be properly replicated by other psychologists therefore lacking reliability.
(+) However sum aspects of his study still would be considered as scientific today. FE he recorded the introspection in a controlled lab and standard uses his procedures so P’s received info and were tested in the same way. This is a strength because wundts research can be seen as a forerunner to later approaches in psychology to come
What are the 4 key assumptions of the Behavourist Approach
1.Behaviour is learned from and through experiences. (Nurture)
- Only observable behaviour should be looked at and tested. (Empirical)
- Animal studies are valid as animals have the same learning processes as humans.
- Psychologists should use lab experiments - maintains objectivity.
- Babies are born as a blank slate - behaviour not predetermined
Discuss/ Outline and Evaluate the behavourist approach (A01)
●Behaviour is learned from and through experiences (Nurture).
●Only observable behaviour should be looked at and tested (Empirical).
●Animal studies are valid as animals have the same learning process as us.
●We should use labatory experiments as it maintains objectivity.
Classical conditioning = Learnjng by association US->UR.
US+NS->UCR. CS->CR.
(Basic idea behind pavlovs study)
Operant conditioning = Learning by consequences/sanctions.
Posotive&Negative Reinforcement (basic idea behind skinners theory). + extinction
What is classical conditioning
Classical conditioning is learning by association.
UCS->UCR
NS->NR
UCS+NS->UCR
CS->CR
(Key research Pavlov - dogs)
What is operant conditioning.
Operant conditioning is learning by sanctions/consequences.
Posotive reinforcement -
Rewards posostive behaviour with pleasant stimulus in order for it to be repeated.
Negative reinforcement - Removing an unpleasant stimulus in order to promote behaviour.
Extinction - behaviour gradually stops when reinforcement stops being provided. (Suppourted by skinners study)
Outline Pavlovs research
Used classical conditioning to observe salivation of a dog. He gave food to a dog (ucs
