Text psychology as a science of conscious experience The Nature of Science

A science is an organized body of reliable information. Such a body of knowledge does not grow as a result of speculation alone, nor does it develop from random observations. Its accumulation depends on the use of special procedures which constitute scientific method. In the early stages of a science, moreover, the importance of the pro­cedure used far outweighs that of the information obtained.

Psychology, like every other science, acquired scicntific status when (1) its observations became systematic rather than aimless; (2) its observations became impersonal — that is to say, when psy­chologists honestly sought information instead of attempting to prove their own ideas by a prejudiced selection of facts, and (3) it became possible for any qualified investigator to repeat the observa­tions of another, under essentially the same conditions, and to verify the results.

The requirements of science are most closely fulfilled when investiga­tors use experimental methods, when instead of observing what occurs spontaneously, they change aspects of nature and note the effect of these changes on phenomena which come within the range of their inquiry.

Psychology achieved scientific status when it became experimental. As we shall see, experimental procedure in psychology was first applied to analyses of conscious experience.

Analysis of Consciousness. The formal launching of psychology as a separate science occurred in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt opened his Psychological Institute at the University of Leipzig. Wundt was a physiologist and philosopher who had made contributions to both of these fields. In addition to his exper­iments in psychology, he was to continue making important contribu­tions to philosophy.

The new movement was not so much a revolt against mental philos­ophy as an attempt to get psychology out of an impasse, by utilizing the experimental method of physiology and physics.

No science is, in an absolute sense, independent of philosophy. Psy­chology has never completely broken away from philosophy and the two disciplines will always have much in common, since scientific endeavours psychological or otherwise, are preceded and followed by speculation. Today there is a flourishing branch of philosophy, the phi­losophy of science, which critically examines the aims, methods and conclusions of all sciences.

Scientific psychology at first took over the same apparatus and methods with which physiologists and physicists had been investi­gating behaviour and experience. Very soon, however, psychologists were finding new problems and devising apparatus and procedures of their own.

Most of the early psychological experiments dealt with experience. There was only incidental interest in a scientific study of behaviour as such: that is, in what persons said and did. Individual observers were trained to attend to and describe their experience while the experi­menter made various changes in light, sound and other external con­ditions. He also made experimental changes in physiological condi­tions (fatigue, hunger, thirst). The method of attending to and describing experiences under known external and internal conditions was called experimental introspection.

The chief aim of Wundt and his students was to discover the ingre­dients of conscious experience. It was claimed, that it could be ana­lyzed into its elements (sensations and so on). Especially there was an effort to discover the relations between stimuli, physiological struc­tures, and particular types of experience. Because of emphasis upon conscious experience, psychology was at that time designated the sci­ence of consciousness.

2. Answer the following questions.

1. What is a science?

2. What does the accumulation of scientific knowledge depend on?

3. When did psychology acquire scientific status for?

4. What is the main method of psychological investigations?

5. What contribution did Wundt make to the development of psychology?

6. What does psychology have in common with philosophy?

7. What did the early psychological experiments deal with?

8. Why is psychology ofthe beginning of this century called the sci­ence of consciousness?

9. Whose doctrine contributed to the study of consciousness?

10. In what way does consciousness contribute to the survival of organisms?

11. What did the attempt to discover the functions of consciousness in ad­justment lead psychologists to?

3. Fill in the banks using the words from the text.

1. A science is an organized body of reliable ….

2. Psychology, like every other science, acquired scicntific status when its … became systematic rather than aimless.

3. The requirements of science … most closely … when investiga­tors use experimental methods.

4. … achieved scientific status when it became experimental.

5. Experimental procedure in psychology was first applied to … of… ….

6. The formal launching of psychology as a separate science occurred in 1879 when … … opened his … … at the University of Leipzig.

7. … was a physiologist and philosopher who had made … to both of these fields.

 

Insert proper word.

1. The new movement was not so much a revolt against ____ philos­ophy as an attempt to get psychology out of an impasse.

a) mental b) physical c) sport

2. No _____ is, in an absolute sense, independent of philosophy.

a) art b)science c) knowledge

3.There is a flourishing branch of philosophy, the phi­losophy of science, which critically____ the aims, methods and conclusions of all sciences.

a) examines b) corrects c) controls

4. Scientific psychology at first took over the same apparatus and methods with which physiologists and physicists had been _____ behaviour and experience.

a) testing b) exploring c) investi­gating

5.Very soon, however, psychologists were finding new _____ and devising apparatus and procedures of their own.

a) problems b) ideas c) tasks

6. Most of the early ____ experiments dealt with experience.

a) psychological b) technological c) logical

7. There was only ____ interest in a scientific study of behaviour as such: that is, in what persons said and did.

a) accidental b) healthy c) incidental

Choose the right variants.

1) Are you sure you have told me? I don’t remember … about it.

a) having told

b) having being told

c) to have told

d) to have been told

 

2) Dan appears … some weight.Has he been ill?

a) having lost

b) having been lost

c) to have lost

d) to have been lost

 

3) We would like…to the president’s reception,but we have not beeninvited.

a) having invited

b) having been invited

c) to be invited

d) to have been invited

 

4) The spy admitted some highly secret information.... to enemy agents.

a) having given

b) having been given

c) to have given

d) to have been given

 

5) We were shocked to hear the news of your ….

a) having fired

b) having been fired

c) to be fired

d) to have been fired

 

6) The baby continued … even after she was picked up.

a) being crying

b) having cried

c) crying

d) having been crying

7)He agreed _____ the job as soon as possible.

a) start
b) starting
c) to start
d) starts

8) I stopped.... my book and went to bed.

a) to read
b) read
c) will read
d) reading

9) My teachers always expected me..... well in exams.

a) did
b) doing
c) do
d) to do

10) Let me..... for the meal. You paid last time.

a) pay
b) to pay
c) paid
d) paying