PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Wilhelm Wundt, Behaviorism, Withdrawal Reflex

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 100
• Professor: Oliver Hardt

Document Summary

Finding building blocks inside yourself and combine them to develop theories. Wundt believed that conscious mental states could be scientifically studied through the systematic manipulation of antecedent variables (those that occur before some other event) Introspection was a technique requiring intensive training to analyse conscious experience into its basic elements (sensations and feelings) Sensations are the raw sensory content of consciousness, without meaning. All conscious thoughts and perceptions were thought to be combinations of sensations. Structuralism: basic elements form the constituents of more complex mental events (inspired by chemistry) William james wrote first textbook on psychology - "principles of psychology", in which he famously defined psychology as "the science of mental life" "it is just this free water of consciousness that psychologists resolutely overlook" Called his course in 1875 "the relations between physiology and psychology" Inspired the position later leading to functionalism (as opposed to structuralism): the emphasis in psychology should be on the purpose and utility of behaviour.