Ethan Ridings

Mr. Jordan Bratt

Psychology
September 15, 2015
Major Players in psychology
There are four major players in psychology that are identified in chapter 1. The first one
is Wilhelm Wundt. Wundt was the first major perspective in the psychological realm. He
published psychologies first landmark text titles, Principles of Physiological Psychology.
In this text he argued that physiology and psychology should be studied separate and that
there should be a whole field dedicated to the study of mental processes. Another major
player was Edward B. Titchener. He was a student of Wundt. Titchener founded the
approach to psychology called structuralism. Structuralism, defined by the book, is an
early school of psychology that emphasized studying the most basic components, or
structures, of conscious experiences. William James is the third major player. His views
would form the school of psychological thought known as functionalism. This is the
study of the purpose of mental experiences. The last major player discussed in the book is
William James. He founded the first psychological research lab in the United States. He
ultimately brought the study to America. He also founded the American Psychological
Association and was the first president. He also greatly influenced the field of psychology
through the work of his many students. (Hockenbury).

Works Cited
Hockenbury, D. H., & Hockenbury, S. E. (2010). Psychology. New York, NY: Worth
Publishers.