Experimental psychology

Shahbaz Shamas

IER ( University of the Punjab)

ContentExperimental psychology.History.20th century scenario.Methodology.Criticism.Experimental psychology: A specific methodological approach.The four canons of science.Where do experimental psychologist work?Advantages and disadvantages of experimental psychology.The Present Status of Experimental Psychology.Reference.

Experimental psychology

Experimental psychology is the study of psychological issues that uses experimental procedures.

Experimental psychology is an area of psychology that utilizes scientific methods to research the mind and behavior.

Count…..The phrase “experimental psychology” refers to

a specific methodological approach to the study of psychology

as well as to several specific areas of research within psychology which predominantly use experimental methods

History

Wilhelm Wundt Is Best

Known For:

1 The establishment of the first

psychology lab.

2 His influence on the school of thought known as structuralism.

Ernst Heinrich Weber 

Weber was a German physician who is the

founder of experimental psychology. His

main interests were the sense of touch.

Count…. Gustav Fechner

Fechner published in 1860 what is

considered to be the first work of

experimental psychology, Weber

was not a psychologist, and it was

Fechner who realized the importance of Weber’s

research to psychology. Fechner was interests establishing a scientific study of the mind-body relationship, which became known as 

psychophysics. Much of Fechner's research focused on the measurement of psychophysical method of limits and the method of adjustment, which are still in use.

20th century scenarioIn the middle of 20th century, behaviorism become a

dominant paradigram.Frederic barlett,Kenneth James Williams craik,wiliam

adman hick and Donald Broadbent.They focus on topic such as

thinking,memory,attention. Experimental psychologist use a range of methods .

Methodology.Other methods.

Methodology

Methodology:- Experimental psychologists study human behavior in different contexts .Human participants are instructed to perform tasks in an experimental setup and the measurement of behavior make in liberty Experimental psychologist use survey befor,during and after experimental intervention and observation methods.

Other methods In other methods we use interview, naturalistic

observation are practiced within fields typically investigated by experimental psychologists .

Criticism B.F skinner criticized experimental psychology in a speech at

American psychological association(APA) for becoming mentalist .He focusing research on internal mental processes instead of observable behavior

Experimental Psychology: A specific methodological approachThose in experimental psychology use a

methodological approach to conduct experiments in controlled situations in order to examine human behavior. These psychologists take nothing for arrange as they study human responses to sensation, perception, motivation, memory, learning and physiological psychology.

Experimental Psychologists perform the following duties:

1 Run experiments to study human behaviorism and mental phenomena.

2 Study behavior processes in animals.

Count….3 Primarily uses the experimental method to

study behavior.4 Answers questions about the when, where,

and why of behavior by careful manipulation and control of relevant variables.

5 Use findings to inform diagnoses and treatments for various social, behavioral and emotional disorder.

The Four Canons of Science :-

In order to understand the scientific approach to experimental psychology as well as other areas of scientific research, it is useful to know the four fundamental principles that appear to be accepted by almost all scientists.

1 Determinism.

2 Empiricism

3 Parsimony

4 Testability

DeterminismOne of the first cannons of science is the assumption

of determinism. This canon assumes that all events have meaningful, systematic causes.

Empiricism: The canon of empiricism simply means to make

observations. This is the best method of figuring out orderly principles. This is a favorite tool among scientist and psychologists because they assume that the best way to find out about the world is to make observations.

ParsimonyThe third basic assumption of most scientific schools

of thought is parsimony. The canon of parsimony says that we should be extremely in developing or choosing between theories by steering away from unnecessary concepts. Almost all scientist agree that if we are faced with two competing theories, that both do a great job at handling a set of empirical observations, we should prefer the simpler of the two. The central idea behind parsimony is that as long as we aim to keep simplifying and organizing, we should continue until we have made things as simple as possible.

TestabilityThe final and most important canon of science is the

assumption that scientific theories should be testable using currently available research techniques. This canon is closely related to empiricism because the techniques that scientists typically use to test their theories are empirical techniques. In addition to being closely related to empiricism, the concept of testability is even more closely associated reasonable. The idea of testability is that scientists go an extra step by actively seeking out tests that could prove their theory wrong. Among psychologists, the concepts of testability are extremely important because many really theories like the work of psychoanalysts were difficult to put to any kind of objective test.

Where do experimental psychologists work?

The majority work in universities and collegesOthers find research-related work in

HospitalsResearch Institutes and CentersGovernment and Military OrganizationsPrivate Companies and Industry

Advantages and disadvantages of experimental psychology. Advantages:- 1 Experiments are the only means by which cause and

effect can be established.

2 It allows for precise control of variables.3 Experiments can be replicated. 

Disadvantages:-

1 All the psychological phenomena cannot be studied by this method.

2 The experimental method is costly in term of money and time.

The Present Status of Experimental Psychology There is now no important university anywhere in the

modern world ' but in some way recognizes the right of experimental method in psychology to a position in the scheme of higher education and of scientific research. 

The experimental psychologist has no lack of problems with which to concern himself. The greatest success has so far been won in the realm of the study of the special senses and of perception. But his methods and results are now extending rapidly. More and more the higher mental processes are coming within the experimentalist's purview, so far as knowledge and control of their condition are concerned.

References:-

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