Hey there future Psych genius! Buckle up as we delve into the fascinating world of the 'birth' of psychology and its initial method of research, introspection. Imagine we're embarking on a fantastic journey back in time.

The first thing to note is that psychology used to be a part of philosophy until it said "see ya!" and became its own discipline. So, why did psychology need a different method of research? Well, to be considered a bona fide science (as opposed to just contemplating about life, universe, and everything), it needed to be empirical. "Empirical" is a fancy term that basically means 'based on experience or observation'. It's like your friend claiming she makes the world's best pancakes (nice try!), but you'd only believe her after you actually taste them, right? That's empirical evidence for you!

So what was psychology's first method? Introspection! Let's break down this intimidating word: 'intro' means within or inside, and 'spection' means looking (like in inspection or spectacles). So, introspection is like taking a selfie of your mind and observing what's happening inside.

During experiments, psychologists would show a stimulus, like an optical illusion or a pendulum swing, and ask participants to describe their experience. What colors did they see? Did they perceive motion? What shapes stood out? It's like watching a movie in your mind and then jotting down the details!

Enter Wilhelm Wundt. He's like the cool uncle of psychology who opened the first ever psychology lab at the University of Leipzig in 1876. This marks the year many consider as the birth of experimental psychology. It's like psychology's first step from being a little philosophy toddler to a strapping science youth!