The demand for experimental psychology arose with the emergence of psychology as such. Since any theory needs experimental confirmation, research is also needed.
Instructions
Step 1
It began to stand out as a separate branch of science relatively recently, only in the 19th century. It was then that psychology became interested in the study of the human sensory sphere - sensations, perceptions, temporary reactions.
Step 2
The founder of experimental psychology was the German scientist Wilhelm Wundt. It was under his leadership that the world's first psychological laboratory with special technical devices and devices was put into operation. The use of the laboratory marked the transition from qualitative descriptive research to highly accurate quantitative research. The method of introspection gave up the practice of psychological research by the experimental method.
Step 3
At first, experimental psychology was concerned only with the development of a psychophysiological experiment. But over time, it has developed into a scientific branch that covers many research methods in all areas of psychology. Moreover, she not only classifies methods, but also studies and develops them.
Step 4
So, experimental psychology is a scientific discipline that deals with the problem of psychological research. This scientific discipline has three tasks:
• Create adequate research methods;
• Develop a principle for organizing experimental research;
• Create scientific methods of psychological measurements.
Step 5
The experimental psychology methodology is based on the following principles:
• the principle of determinism (all mental phenomena are dependent on the interaction of the organism with the environment);
• the principle of objectivity (the object of research is independent of who conducts the research);
• the principle of the unity of the physical and psychological (psychological and physical is a unity, in some way);
• the principle of development (the human psyche is the result of its development in phylogeny and ontogeny);
• the principle of the unity of consciousness and activity (it is impossible to separately study behavior, consciousness and personality. They are interconnected.);
• the principle of falsifiability (the possibility of refuting the theory by setting up a possible variant of the experiment);
• systemic-structural principle (mental processes should be studied as integral phenomena).
Step 6
At the beginning, all the achievements of experimental psychology were of a purely academic nature, they did not set themselves the goal of using the results obtained in practice for treating patients. But over time, they began to be used in many areas - from preschool pedagogy to astronautics.
