RESE1171 - Psychology as Empirical Science: 19th Century Labs

This essay explores the establishment of psychology as an empirical science, focusing on the 19th century and the pioneering laboratory experiments of Wilhelm Wundt. It defines psychology as a process of thinking and adapting to changes, emphasizing the role of individual perception and mental processes in acquiring knowledge. The essay highlights the importance of empirical approaches, where knowledge is derived from experience and experimentation, contrasting it with purely belief-based systems. Wundt's establishment of the first experimental psychology laboratory in 1879 is presented as a pivotal moment, marking a shift towards a scientific and experimental approach to understanding the human mind. The report concludes that psychology relies on empirical methods to gain knowledge through experience, culminating in scientific experiments designed to eliminate variables and establish universal findings.

Psychology

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCE...................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
This report aims to provide an understanding of psychology. It define as a thinking process and
ability to accept the changes in a human being. Every individual has different perception and
behaviour which impose action on the person's brain. It contain mental process to analyse and
identify the deep knowledge over something(Henrich, and Muthukrishna, 2021). This essay is
going to demonstrate on the psychology as an empirical science by considering its first
experiment done in laboratory done by William Wundt.
MAIN BODY
Psychology is the process of brainstorming and continue to think and behave in
respective manner. Individuals are different and have different abilities to think and gain
knowledge. It includes thought procedure over thoughts, feelings in a deep study. It attains a
phenomena and come up with experience based answers. These sciences creates difference
among natural thought and scientific thought as they both have different thought procedure.
Therefore, Psychology is mainly based on empirical approaches it has identified that knowledge
best comes from experience. It involves all the sense like what hear and get sights are all a part
of empirical approach(MacLin, 2020). The ideas behind using empirical approach is to convert
one's thoughts and ideas into experiments and facts so that, it takes the form of research and
scientific study. These empirical knowledge does not based on only beliefs as it undertake own
deep research over what a person hears. The scientist think in all the direction, undertake
experience to come on a relevant conclusion.
Psychology has took a turn when the William Wundt has made the world's first experimental
laboratory at the University in 1879. It created a whole distinct approach of scientific way of
thoughts and mental discipline. The laboratory method is the most wider approach of empirical
way of psychology. In which scientist does not only beliefs in researching the theory rather they
create an experiment for the solutions of science and chemistry. It helps in analysing the
measures and variable which could impact ion the results of the experiments. The scientist have
control over all the factors that might create cause and effect relations. These experiments are of
standardised methods and give accurate result which a human mind which thought and identify
the procedure (Airenti, 2019). The main purpose of this approach is to lead the best way to
analyse the results and make the valuable findings to give it a universal presence. This method is

now use in 19th century that shown much development in science and technology and tuned out
all the research in an experiment form.
CONCLUSION
The report has concluded that psychology is the method of thoughts and mental
processing through hearing and sights. It has identified that, empirical approach is used to make
research gain knowledge thorough experiences which helps in making valid conclusion. But this
approach has now presented in the form of experiment research to attain scientific presence by
focusing on eliminating variable which creates unwanted relationships.

REFERENCE
Book and journal
Henrich, J. and Muthukrishna, M., 2021. The origins and psychology of human
cooperation. Annual Review of Psychology, 72, pp.207-240.
MacLin, M.K., 2020. Experimental Design in Psychology: A Case Approach. Routledge.
Airenti, G., 2019. The place of development in the history of psychology and cognitive
science. Frontiers in psychology, 10, p.895.