Structuralism: Uses the method of introspection to identify the basic elements or "structures" of
psychological experience —Wilhelm Wundt, Edward B. Titchener
Functionalism: Attempts to understand why animals and humans have developed the particular
psychological aspects that they currently possess —William James
Psychodynamic; Focuses on the role of our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories and our early
childhood experiences in determining behaviour —Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, Erik Erickson
Behaviorism: Based on the premise that it is not possible to objectively study the mind, and therefore
that psychologists should limit their attention to the study of behaviour itself —John B. Watson, B. F.
Skinner
Cognitive: The study of mental processes, including perception, thinking, memory, and judgments —
Hermann Ebbinghaus, Sir Frederic Bartlett, Jean Piaget
Social-cultural: The study of how the social situations and the cultures in which people find themselves
influence thinking and behaviour —Fritz Heider, Leon Festinger, Stanley Schachter
Timeline is Psychology
, Schools of Psychology
Pre-modern Period
Psychology = Religion
Psychology = Philosophy
Source of knowledge: Philosophers and priests
1) Metaphysical: Psychological distress caused by God being angry (If you were ill, it was because you
had behaved badly and god was punishing you)
2) Naturalistic:
2.1) Greeks:
• Psychology = philosophy
• Aristotle: empty slate (tabula rasa)
• Plato: knowledge is innate
• Hippocrates: human personality depends on fluids and humours in the body
2.2) Middle East (8th and 9th century)
2.3) Europe:
Renaissance: humans are not innately bad but good
Reformation: humans are innately bad but conversion to Christianity make them good
Modern Period
Psychology is not philosophy
3) Structuralism: Aims to identify the basic elements or “structures” of psychological experience. Its goal
was to create a “periodic table” of the “elements of sensations”.
• Structuralism traces its roots back to Wilhelm Wundt, who is often considered the father of
experimental psychology. Wundt's student in Germany, Edward Titchener, played a crucial role in
carrying forward his ideas and methods. He translated Wundt's Book and exported Structuralism to
USA
• Direct observation of the mind or cognitive processes is not possible
• Analysis of the mind by breaking it down into its fundamental components or basic elements. This
involves the systematic examination of the structure of consciousness experiences, which are
composed of 3 basic elements:
-> Sensations: impressions caused by physical world
-> Feelings: emotional reactions resulting from certain mental experiences
-> Images: representation of objects not present in that specific moment (equivalent to memory)
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