Daniel Golub

PSY 4012
Wilhelm Wundt
The aim of the experimental procedure is to substitute for this subjective method,
whose sole resource is an inaccurate inner perception, a true and reliable introspection,
and to this end it brings consciousness under accurately adjustable objective conditions.
This quote by Wundt extols the benefits of introspection as it relates to its
usefulness in studying the human consciousness. A proper examination of the mind goes
beyond just studying its various structures. Introspection provides this much-needed
analysis by allowing a person to objectively report on the various mental states and
thoughts that he/she experiences in waking life. This requires exposure to a stimulus and
reflection on the experience in terms of thought and emotion. This procedure involved an
experimental approach that limited the influence of lurking variables through rigidly
controlled conditions and influenced other psychologists to adopt it thereafter.