Final answer:
Wilhelm Wundt is credited with pioneering structuralism, an approach to psychological study that involves breaking down conscious experiences into their component parts. He used introspection, or 'internal perception,' to study the components of consciousness objectively.
Step-by-step explanation:
Wilhelm Wundt is renowned for being a pioneer in psychology, often recognized as the first individual to refer to himself as a psychologist. Wundt's approach to psychological study is called structuralism, which he detailed in his seminal Principles of Physiological Psychology, published in 1873.
Wundt viewed psychology as a scientific study of conscious experience. He aimed to identify the components of consciousness and how these elements combined to create our conscious experience. This task involved a method called introspection, also known as "internal perception," where individuals examined their conscious experiences as objectively as possible. He likened studying the human mind to observing any other part of nature scientifically.
Moreover, his experimental approach to introspection used instruments that measured aspects like reaction times, which allowed for more objective data collection within his research. Wundt's analytical methods and the establishment of his psychology laboratory at the University of Leipzig in 1879 were foundational for the scientific discipline of psychology, which diverged from prior philosophical considerations of the mind.