Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Task 5 - Experimental Psychology (Germany (Wundt (1832-1920) :silhouette:,…
Task 5 - Experimental Psychology
Germany
Universities in Germany for a long time were dominated by the humanities and religion
1850 - philosophers studied psychology as the fourth theme of metaphysics + psychology courses part of education
end of 17th century - Pietism and Enlightenment against Catholic orthodoxy and doctrine
Enlightenment ideas mainly from academics of the university of Leibzig (supported by Wolff :silhouette:)
Defeat by French - Prussians want to modernise country
Reorganization of school system - Scientific research (Wissenschaft) + making of good citizens (Bildung)
Academic freedom
Wundt (1832-1920) :silhouette:
Obtained an assistantship with Hermann von Helmholtz
Physiological psychology
Psychology should use experimental methods
Structuralism
1879 - First laboratory of experimental psychology
Boring: possible because moving away from the deductive style :silhouette:
Germany embraced inductive reasoning from Bacon :silhouette:
Six-month introductory course: people from all over the world
Laboratory was not as modern as in America
Experimental methods :
The measurement of the duration of simple and mental processes
(reaction times)
The accuracy of reproduction in memory task
Psychophysical methods: to study connection between physical stimuli and their conscious states
Introspection
Distinction between internal perception and experimental self-observation
Psychology should be limited to processes studied exp.
Later stressed the importance of introspection for study of higher mental processes
Historical method
The study of mental differences as revealed by differences between cultures
Persons development could be studied by examining the historical development of the human race
end of 19th century - attracting people from everywhere
America
William James (1824-1920) :silhouette:
started to teach a course of psychology at Harvard university
Textbook of choice at many colleges and universities in English
generally considered as one of the first psychologists
Research methods
Accepted introspection as subjective method - limited to experimental
Very similar with Darwins evolutionary theory
Functionalist - examined the practical functions of the human mind inspired by the evolutionary theory
Everything has a purpose
UK
Edward Bradford Titchener (1887-1927) :silhouette:
Structuralism
Approach of psychology - consisting of trying to discover the strucutre of the human mind by means of introspection :fire:
Failed to convince the researchers, who remained interested in the contents of consciousness
Countermovement: Gestalt psychology
Würzburg school
studied with Wundt
Was not very influential due to criticism
Functionalist - it's not practical enough
Gestalt Psychology
Würzburg school and Binet
Was very strict with introspection
Delay in scientific development due to
Traditional universities
France
Théodule Ribot (1839-1916) :silhouette:
Showed France how far behind they are in science
Questioned Comte's view
Introspection can be scientific when specific rules
Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) :silhouette:
Hypnosis (Mesmerism)
Surgeons use hypnosis as an anesthetic
Comte (1798-1857) :silhouette:
Civilisation went through three stages
Metaphysical stage
Positivistic stage
Theocratic stage
Against introspection
John Stuart Mill & Herbert Spencer :silhouettes:
introspection as a respectable scientific method
Introspection can be based on memories (allows humans to be aware of their thought)
Without introspection you can't study mental functions
Introspection is not incompatible with the 'objective method' so to make it scientific it has to be combined with empirical observation (Ribot)
Binet (1857-1911) :silhouette:
Before 1903 - followed Galton's lead in intelligence study by measuring perceptual capacities on the basis of psychophysical methods
First valid intelligence test
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Neurologist who started psychological treatment of his patients (talking cure)
Built theory and therapy
Based on idea that people's actions are controlled by their unconscious
Psychoanalysis :fire:
Used medical case studies as a research method
Evidence derived from introspections by patients.
Introspection shows unconscious thoughts= important how Freud interpreted them
Zeitgeist; Why could Psychology establish?
Individualisation (started 1920)
Govermentalisation
Social Management
Scientification
Debouf
Demand characteristics (bias)