Lecture notes
The Development of Psychology
The Development of Psychology
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
Seller
Follow
Content preview
The Development of PsychologyWhat is Psychology?
The scientific study of the mind and its functions: What people do, Why
they do it, Scientific Theories and Conclusions.
Wilhelm Wundt
Wilhelm Wundt, often referred to as the ‘Father of Psychology’, is where
Psychology all started. In 1879, Wundt set up the first psych lab, where he
went on to separate Psychology from its two parent subjects, biology and
philosophy.
Wundt also founded the Introspection Method. This is where stimulus
exposure, internal examination and analysis took place. In other words, it
was where a test subject was exposed to any kind of interesting stimuli.
They then were asked to examine their own thoughts, emotions and
sensations and report them back to the experimenter. The psychologists
then analyse various results to think of explanations and hypotheses. The
introspection method is very subjective due to the analysis stage.
Is Psychology a Science?
There is A LOT of controversy around whether or not psychology is a
science or not. There are five features for something to be considered a
science: Control, Hypothesis Testing, Objectivity, Predictability and
Replicability (can be remembered as CHOPR).
Allport (1947) was in favour of the idea that Psychology is a science. He
suggested that psychology was characterised by predictability,
hypothesis testing and control. He also said that other psychologists use
loads of scientific procedures to test hypothesis and investigate theories
in a controlled and unbiased way.
However, some approaches use less objective methods: i.e. interview
, techniques, that can be biased and interpreted differently. Because of
psychology’s philosophical origins, there’s always going to be an element
of subjectivity: i.e. the subjectivity of Wundt’s introspection method.
Cognitive & Learning Approaches
The Cognitive Approach and The Learning Approach are two direct
opposites of one another. The learning approach focuses on observable,
external behaviour; the cognitive approach focuses on how the internal
mind works to influence behaviour. Cognitive psychologists have come up
with three main assumptions about the inner workings of our minds.
● Firstly, we have the Limited Capacity assumption, suggesting that our
minds can only process a fixed amount of information at once - that
information can be spread over multiple tasks.
● Secondly, there is the Control Mechanism assumption. Psychologists
believe that there is an area of the mind that has superior processing
power. It can control activity in other areas of the brain.
● Lastly, there is the Two-Way Flow assumption. This suggests that the
mind takes info from the environment (the input flow), and once it has
been processed, it produces a behavioural reaction (the output flow)…
similar to that of a computer.
Study Methods
There are three main study methods:
● Laboratory Experiments are structured experiments which allow for a
tight control of variables. Confounding variables are excluded.
Cognitive psychologists have found a scientific and valid way to study
the mind.
● Secondly, Case Studies. They often focus on rare occurrences such
as brain damage or trauma. Some case studies give us an insight into
the working of some mental processes. However, because conditions
are rare, the samples tend to be small. The results of the case studies
can therefore be less generalisable and reliable.
● Lastly, Brain Imaging. This is one of the more recent cognitive
methods. fMRI or PET machines map out the different areas of the
brain, and this is a very fast evolving area of psychology.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jgrifbo. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for £7.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
64438 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy revision notes and other study material for 14 years now