The emergence of psychology as a science

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  • Origins of Psychology
    • Wundt's lab
      • He and his co-workers would record their own conscious thought and break them down into their constituent parts.
        • Structuralism
      • Aimed to document and describe the nature of human consciousness.
        • Introspection
      • First ever lab dedicated to psychological enquiry.
      • Would be seen as 'scientific' today.
        • All introspection were recorded under strictly controlled conditions using the same stimulus every time.
        • Standardised instructions were given out to participants.
          • Replication
        • Marked the separation of a scientific psychology away from its philosophical roots.
    • The emergence of psychology as a science
      • 1900s behaviourists
        • By the beginning of the 20th century, the scientific value of introspection was being questioned.
          • Mainly by Watson
        • Watson's main issue with introspection ws that the data was subjective, so. it became very difficult to establish general principles.
        • He was also highly critical of it's focus on internal mental processes, suggesting that a truly scientific psychology should only study phenomena that could be measured and observed.
        • This became the behaviourist approach.
        • Watson and Skinner brought the language, rigour and methods of the natural sciences.
        • Used carefully controlled lab experiments.
      • 1950s cognitive approach
        • Likened the mind to a computers.
        • Reinforced the study of the mind as a legitimate science.
        • Able to make inferences about internal mental processes with the use of lab tests.
      • 1980s biological approach
        • Makes use of experimental data.
        • Took advantage of recent advances in technology to investigate physiological processes as they happen. This includes live activity in the brain.
          • fMRI, EEG

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