Specification: Origins of psychology: Wundt, introspection and the emergence of psychology as a science.

Wundt and introspection

Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) is often considered as the father of experimental psychology and was the first person to acknowledge himself as a psychologist. In 1875, at Leipzig University, Germany, he set up the first laboratory dedicated to experimental psychology. Wundt’s approach became known as structuralism because he used scientific methods to study human consciousness by breaking its structure down into smaller components, such as sensations and perceptions. He developed a technique, known as introspection.

Introspection means “looking into” and is the process in which a person examines their inner world, by consciously observing their thoughts and emotions. Wundt trained his participants so that they could give detailed observations from their introspection. He strictly controlled the environment where introspection took place, including the stimuli (e.g. images or sounds) and tasks (e.g. a description of their perception or emotions) that participants were asked to consider. The information Wundt gleaned from his participants’ introspection was used to shed light on the processes involved in human consciousness.

The emergence of Psychology as a science

Wundt showed that empirical methods could be applied to mental processes. However, Watson and Skinner criticised the subjective nature of the personal observations which made it difficult to make generalisations from the research. Watson and Skinner emphasised the importance of rigorous scientific processes and carefully controlled laboratory experiments, which many psychologists still rely on today.

Cognitive psychologists believe that internal mental thoughts are an important area of study and they attempt to make inferences based on human behaviour, where they draw conclusions about cognitive processes based on human behaviour in scientific laboratory investigations.

The biological approach makes use of sophisticated technology, including brain scanning techniques, like fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) scans, to understand the structure and function of the human brain. The cycle of scientific investigation is perpetuated by psychologists testing their concepts, making objective observations which can be replicated and then refining their theories according to the findings, before testing once again.

Exam Hint: For this section, it is useful to understand how each approach in psychology (those presented in the timeline above) have contributed to psychology becoming a science.

Issues and debates

Wundt’s approach to psychological experimentation, using the method of introspection, is idiographic in nature. However, this was heavily criticised by the behaviourists, as universal principles that could be applied to explain human behaviour cannot be generated from introspection. Behaviourists suggest that a nomothetic approach to psychological investigations is more advantageous because it overcomes these limitations.

Over the years, psychology as a discipline has become more scientific due to the modernisation of methods used when studying the human brain. The use of experimental methods in biological psychology, such as brain imaging techniques, demonstrate the scientific and technological advances that psychologists are now utilising.

Possible exam questions

1. Define what is meant by introspection. (2 marks)

2. Briefly describe the emergence of psychology as a science. (4 marks)

3. Explain Wundt’s role in the development of psychology. (6 marks)