Psychology: Different schools of thoughts

Structuralism
• Wilhem Wundt o didn't simply found the first laboratory in psychology to study "conscious experiences"; he argued forcefully for his view of what the new field should study
 psychology should focus on analyzing the contents of consciousness in order to determine its basic elements and the relationships between them —a view known as structuralism o Studied elements of consciousness using a method called "introspection" (a method in which trained individuals report in detail on their conscious experiences in response to specific stimuli, for e.g. sounds, optical illusions, other visual stimuli, that are presented to them in a carefully controlled conditions) o Believed, if trained, individuals are able to accurately identify mental processes that accompanied feelings, sensations and thoughts
Functionalism
• Structuralism was soon challenged by William James and other psychologists who felt that their new field should not on structure of consciousness, but on its functions
• Structuralism was strongly influenced by Darwin's theory of natural selection
 The principle of natural selection states that evolution favors plants and animals best suited to their living condition
 its proponents argued that since consciousness is a uniquely human characteristic, it may serve important functions for us
 Focused on understanding the functions of consciousness - how it helps human beings cope with the challenging and changing world around them
 Find out how thoughts, perceptions, habits and emotions aid human adaptation
 They wanted to study mind in use
• Contributions: Child development and relative benefits of various educational practices
• Though functionalism faded away as an identifiable "ism" or "school", its practical orientation have evolved to serve important functions in the field of evolutionary psychology
Behaviorism
• In 1913, John B. Watson, a brilliant but brash, young psychologist, argued that psychology should focus not