Wilhelm wundt contribution to psychology

This was the first laboratory dedicated to psychology, and its opening is usually thought of as the beginning of modern psychology. Indeed, Wundt is often regarded as the father of psychology.

Wilhelm wundt pronunciation

Wundt was important because he separated psychology from philosophy by analyzing the workings of the mind in a more structured way, with the emphasis being on objective measurement and control. This laboratory became a focus for those with a serious interest in psychology, first for German philosophers and psychology students, then for American and British students as well.

All subsequent psychological laboratories were closely modeled in their early years on the Wundt model. For example, participants would be exposed to a standard stimulus e. The school of psychology founded by Wundt is known as voluntarism, the process of organizing the mind. During his academic career Wundt trained graduate students in psychology.

This is significant as it helped disseminate his work.

Wilhelm wundt structuralism

Wundt wanted to study the structure of the human mind using introspection. Wundt believed in reductionism. That is, he believed consciousness could be broken down or reduced to its basic elements without sacrificing any of the properties of the whole. Wundt argued that conscious mental states could be scientifically studied using introspection.

He trained psychology students to make observations that were biased by personal interpretation or previous experience, and used the results to develop a theory of conscious thought. Highly trained assistants would be given a stimulus such as a ticking metronome and would reflect on the experience. They would report what the stimulus made them think and feel.