Question 1 :

LSP207/05 History and Systems of Psychology course is a level 2 basic major course. And, it

is a compulsory subject for Dolly to graduate from the psychology degree program.

The course introduces the development of psychology in historical perspective. The

students will understand the development of Medicine and Physiology, the Experimental

Psychology and various Psychotherapies. With this historical awareness, students know where

psychologys subject came from and why it is important. Students with deeper understanding

could avoid repeating the same mistakes that happened in the pass. The Milgram experiment

was a series of social psychology experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram on negative

obedience, where people are guided by authority to perform immoral acts (Milgram, 1963).

During the experiment, the participants suffered extreme emotional stress and inflicted

insight. Jerry Burger from Santa Clara University managed to replicate Milgrams experiment

and made several substantial changes (Burger, 2007). The changes avoided the participants

exposed to the intense stress as Milgrams experiment.

Modern psychology includes several of subjects that have little in common. Some

psychologists focus on human cognitive functions, some psychologists specialize in behavior

that related to physiological and biochemical process but some others work with unconscious

forces. The only framework that binds all these and shows a coherent context is their history.

So, with the knowledge of the history, a student knows how psychology start, where

psychologys subject came from and the importance of the subject. Commonly, psychologists

agreed that the past of an individual will shape his / her present. Some psychologists will tried

to understand an adult client by studying his / her childhood that cause their patients behave in
current ways. As a psychologist can have a greater understanding of a persons behavior by

probing into the persons past experiences, so do a student understanding current psychology

by going through the development of psychology.

Additionally, the history of psychology is a source of valuable ideas. Student might

discover ideas that were developed long time ago but never being used. These ideas fade away

not because it is incorrect but unpopular. When psychology first introduced, it emphasis on

pure science, but then shifted to topic related to survival after Darwins theory became popular

(Hergenhahn, B.R. & Henley, T.B., 2014). And now, psychology is emphasis on context such as

the most highly valued personality trait like mindfulness, forgiveness and agreeableness (Alice

Boyes, 2015). There were many still many potentially fruitful ideas waiting to be re-proposed

and proved with the latest technology. Just like the topic regarding the function for 2 cerebral

hemispheres in radically different ways, many people thought that the topic is new. However,

Brown-Sequard had wrote an article on this topic with the titled Have We Two Brain or

One? in 1890 (Hergenhahn, B.R. & Henley, T.B., 2014).

As a conclusion, this course is important for student like Dolly. After finished the course, Dolly

may benefit a lot from it.

Question 2:

The mind-body problems always a topic to debate among the scholars. The debate is about how

or whether the mind and body interacts with each other. Some psychologists explained

everything in term of matter or consciousness. They are so called monists. Monists that

explained everything in physical terms even mental events are explained by laws of chemistry

and laws of physics are called Materialists. But, Idealists are those who explained everything

in term of consciousness. According to Idealist, the existent of the physical world because the

mind think of it.

However, the dualism accepted mind and body were different essences. One form of

dualism called Parallelism, claimed that both the mind and the brain are totally independent of

each other. A phenomena experience causes mental events and bodily responses simultaneously.

There was another form claimed that the mind influences the body and at the same time, the

body exerts an influence to the mind too. The interaction is 2 direction. This idea is supported

by on form of dualism, called Interactionism. For me, I also believe that there were a physical

body and a non-physical mind but there were related.

Basically, the Interactionism believed that both mind and brain are separate entities

but there were interactions between them. Brain is a complex organ in human physical body

that located in the head. Brain function as the centralized control over the entire human body

including all the organs like liver, bladders, eyes and others. It response to stimulus from the

environment and causes mental events. The brain transform the sensory information, thus

creating discrepancy between physical and phenomenal reality. For example, an individual

just woken up from his dream. He can felt his body lying in bed and his heard the morning birds
chirping sounds near the window. The brain transform the sensation and the voice that stimulate

his physical body become a physical consciousness experiences.

Mind is non-physical. Descartes believed that the mind never housed in human body as

a captain but it is the ship itself (Hergenhahn, B.R. & Henley, T.B., 2014). This can be proved by

our sensory experiences is part of the cognitive experiences and we can feel the different

bodily states such as anger, pain, thirst and hunger. We cant feel any of these if the mind was

not closely related to the body. As per the previous example, the individual woken up in the

morning. But, his mind was thinking about all the works that he need to complete by end of the

day. He started to worry, emotionally down and stress. Now, the mind created another type of

bodily experiences without any physical stimulus.

These 2 entities did interact. Mind have the ability to think, to perceive and wills, it

provides human with information about the external world (Schultz, D.P., & Schultz, S.E.,

2011). It influenced the body and also influenced by the body. For example, when the mind want

to grab an object, this thought will execute by the brain to control the bodys muscle, tendons.

Similarly, when the body is stimulated by the cool or hot weather, the mind will interpreted and

recognized the body sensory data and response accordingly. Just like the individual who just

woken up. When he heard the chirping sound, the mind let him feel relax and happy. Then, the

brain control his lips to flicker. But, once he thought about those works that he need to be done,

the negative emotion cause the brain to knit his eye brows.

Above are my standpoints on the mind body problems. I support the interactionism of

dualism which popularized by Rene Descartes. He claimed that both the mind and the brain exist

and interacted.
Question 3:

(a)

Wilhelm Wundt was a psychologist during 19th century. He is considered as the father of

experimental psychology. Wilhelm born in Baden, Germany on 16th August 1832. He studied

medicine at University of Tubingen and then continued at University of Heidelberg where he

received his MD in 1855. After he received doctor of medicine, he joining University of

Heidelberg as an assistant to Hermann von Helmholtz, the physicist and physiologist. Then, he

became Associate Professor in Physiology in 1864. But, his main interest still in psychology

and related subjects. He started to explore neuropsychology.

In 1874, he expand his experimental psychology and published the book Principles of

Physiological Psychology. In the following year, he accepted the offer as Professor of

Physiology at University of Leipzig. And, he started the first formal laboratory for

psychological research. This laboratory let him explored the strange psychological behaviors, the

practice of identification of mental disorders, conceptual aspect of religious beliefs and finding

damaged parts of the brain (Patel, A.K., Mehta, A., 2014). During his academic career, Wundt

supervised a large number of doctoral.

He interested to study the structure of human mind and conscious mental states

through scientific studied using introspection. His form of introspection was highly practiced

form of self-examination. Wundt also a prolific psychologist. His work focused on mental

functioning: thought, images and feeling stimulated interest in cognitive psychology (McLeod,

2008).
(b)

Wilhelm Wundt made psychology as a separate discipline. This was one of his main

contribution to the development of psychology. In 1875, he founded the first formal

psychological research laboratory at University of Leipzig. This marked the beginning of the

used of experimental method in psychology. Prior to this, psychology was combined into

philosophy and physiology.

Wilhelm Wundt was a professional of the experimental psychology. After setting up the

laboratory, he then established the first psychological academic journal in 1881 to publish his

laboratorys research. He named it as Philosophische Studien (Philosophical Studies). This

was the first journal for experimental psychology. And, in 1906, he renamed the journal to a

more appropriate name called Psychological Studies (Schultz, D.P., & Schultz, S.E., 2011).

During his academic career time, he supervised more than 100 graduate students in

psychology. His lab and his reputation attracted a huge number of students to work under him.

These students became well-known psychologists and pioneer in several sub-fields of

psychology. They include Hugo Munsterberg (a pioneer in applied psychology), Granville

Stanley Hal (father of the child psychology movement and adolescent development), Ernst

Meumann (pioneer in pedagogical psychology) and James McKeen Cattell (the 1st professor of

psychology in US).

Wundt was a hard working psychologist. He had published numerous books and articles.

He published textbook about human physiology. His work also contributed to cultural

psychology, neuropsychology, neurology, physiology and histology. One of his important

publication in the history of psychology was the first textbook for experimental psychology,
Principles of Physiological Psychology. This book explained Wundts theories of conscious

perception and investigation of consciousness.

Wundt also interested in study the inner working of human brain. He believed that

thoughts and sensations possible to be recorded after broke down into basic elements. This

approach became well-known as structuralism. He go beyond the physiology method and

introduced experimental technique to study the conscious mental states. He used experimental

methods to study the basic building blocks (structures) of human thought and study how these

blocks interacted. His study on feeling, thoughts, and images contributed to the development of

modern cognitive psychology.

Wundt developed a research technique that well known as introspection. This technique

was a self-examination that need highly practiced. During his career period, he actively trained

his students to do observations that normally biased by personal interpretation or previous

experience. Then, the results used to develop theories of conscious mind. His work showed that

this technique could be used for study human mental states in laboratory setting.

References
Alice Boyes, P. (2015, Jan 12). The 3 Most Important Trends in Psychology Research
Right Now. Retrieved from PsyhologyToday:
 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-practice/201501/the-3-most-
important-trends-in-psychology-research-right-now

Burger, J. (2007, December 1). Associatrion for Psychological Science. Retrieved

from Replicating Milgram:
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/replicating-
milgram#.WIy51VN97IU

Hergenhahn, B.R. & Henley, T.B. (2014). An Introduction to the History of

Psychology, 7th ed. Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.

McLeod, S. A. (2008). Wilhelm Wundt. Retrieved from SimplyPsychology:

www.simplypsychology.org/wundt.html

Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social

Psychology, 371 - 378.

Patel, A.K., Mehta, A. (2014). Person of the Issue: Wilhelm Wundt (1832 - 1920). The
International Journal of Indian Psychology: Vol. 01, Issue 04, 1 - 5.

Schultz, D.P., & Schultz, S.E. (2011). A History of Modern Psychology. Wadsworth:
CENGAGE Learning.