Origins of Psychology - Approaches [A-Level Psychology]

Summary

This video introduces the origins of psychology as a scientific discipline, tracing its development from philosophy to experimental science. It highlights Wilhelm Wundt's pioneering work in establishing psychology as an independent field and introduces key psychological approaches, including structuralism, behaviorism, and psychodynamics. The video explores various schools of thought, such as cognitive psychology and humanistic psychology, and discusses how each approach contributes to our understanding of the brain and behavior. The content also emphasizes the importance of key psychological terminology and offers an overview of psychology’s evolution over the past 250 years.

Takeaways

• 😀 Psychology is the scientific study of the brain and behavior, emerging as a formal field of study around 150 years ago.
• 😀 Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of experimental psychology, founding the first psychological laboratory in 1879 and introducing the idea of psychology as an empirical science.
• 😀 Wundt's structuralism focused on breaking down the mind into its simplest components, using introspection to understand sensory experiences and mental processes.
• 😀 Scientific psychology involves systematic and objective methods such as observation, experimentation, and empirical testing to avoid bias and ensure reliable results.
• 😀 Psychology was originally viewed through the lenses of philosophy and medicine before it became a distinct scientific discipline, influenced by fields like physics and biology.
• 😀 Introspection, used by Wundt, involved participants reporting their conscious experiences in a controlled environment, though it was criticized for its subjective nature and reliance on inferences.
• 😀 The behaviorist movement, led by figures like Pavlov and Skinner, rejected introspection, focusing solely on observable behaviors and environmental influences, deeming the mind a 'black box.'
• 😀 Sigmund Freud's psychodynamic approach emphasized the unconscious mind and defense mechanisms like repression and denial, though it lacked the scientific rigor of later approaches.
• 😀 Social learning theorists, like Bandura, extended behaviorism by acknowledging the role of internal mental processes and observational learning in human behavior.
• 😀 Humanistic psychology, led by figures like Maslow and Rogers, emphasized free will and self-actualization, rejecting deterministic views and focusing on personal growth and potential.
• 😀 Cognitive psychology emerged in response to the computer revolution, likening the brain to a computer, where inputs (senses) and outputs (behavior) are processed by mental software (cognitive processes).
• 😀 Biological psychology, with roots in medicine, studies the brain's role in behavior and mental health, leveraging tools like fMRI to explore brain activity and genetic research to understand mental disorders.

Q & A

What is the basic definition of psychology?

Psychology is the scientific study of the brain and behavior. It emerged as a field of science about 150 years ago.

Who is considered the father of experimental psychology and why?

Wilhelm Wundt is considered the father of experimental psychology because he established the first psychological laboratory and used scientific methods to study behavior and mental processes.

What was Wundt's approach to studying the mind called?

Wundt's approach was called structuralism, which focused on breaking down mental processes into their simplest components to understand the structure of the mind.

What method did Wundt use in his experiments?

Wundt used a method called introspection, where participants were trained to observe and report their conscious experiences in a controlled environment.

What is the difference between a scientific method and the introspective method used by Wundt?

The scientific method relies on systematic observation, experimentation, and data analysis, while introspection is subjective and relies on participants' self-reports, which can be biased or inaccurate.

How did the criticisms of introspection lead to the development of behaviorism?

Critics of introspection argued that it was too subjective, leading to the development of behaviorism, which focused on observable behavior and discarded the study of internal mental states.

What are the key criticisms of Wundt's methods?

Wundt's methods were criticized for their subjective nature, as introspection relies on participants' self-reports, which could be biased or mistaken. His inferences about mental processes were also speculative and not scientifically verifiable.

What is the main idea behind behaviorism?

Behaviorism focuses on studying observable behavior and the relationship between stimuli and responses, rejecting the study of internal mental processes.

How did Sigmund Freud's approach to psychology differ from Wundt's?

Freud's approach, known as psychodynamics, was based on case studies and introspection, and it emphasized the role of the unconscious mind and childhood experiences in shaping behavior, unlike Wundt's more scientific approach to mental processes.

How do cognitive psychologists view the brain, and how is it similar to a computer?

Cognitive psychologists view the brain as similar to a computer, with sensory inputs (like a keyboard or mouse) and outputs (like speech or movement). The brain's biological hardware is compared to the computer's CPU, and mental processes are likened to software running on the CPU.

What is the significance of the timeline of psychological approaches presented in the video?

The timeline highlights the development of different psychological approaches over 250 years, showing how psychology evolved from early introspective methods to more scientific and empirical approaches, such as behaviorism, cognitive psychology, and biological psychology.

What role did introspection play in the development of therapy and modern cognitive research?

Introspection, despite its limitations, has influenced therapeutic practices and some forms of research, especially in understanding internal mental states. It also inspired cognitive psychologists to develop more structured, objective methods for studying mental processes.