Foundations of Psychology

Foundations of Psychology PYS/300 5/28/12 Dannette Brown

Foundations of Psychology Foundations of Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behavior and is broken into many different fields. Psychology is used to gain a better understanding of the human mind and observable behaviors, using several schools of thought to develop it as a scientific discipline. Structuralism is the foundation of psychology that consists of describing the structures that make up the human mind. Wilhelm Wundt and his pupil Edward Titchener are the innovators of this foundation. Their belief was that introspection was the science of conscious experience and trained observers could accurately describe behaviors and emotions within the observed individual. Titchener further believed that a separation between introspection and internal perception could yield more accurate results. This is achieved by simply having the qualified observer be made aware when stimulus of interest are introduced. Thus changing the control in the experiment you can narrow down results. Functionalism is another of the foundations of psychology, what's interesting is this foundation

has grown from a critique of structuralism and the work of Titchener. Functionalism was greatly influenced by William James. James hypothesized that thinking, feeling, learning and other thought processes only existed because they helped an individual survive as a species. Functionalism seeks to answer the Question of "why" rather than just dealing with the "how". In its infancy Titchener went to great lengths to make sure the foundations of structuralism and functionalism were developed separately and in opposition of each other. Behaviorism is the foundation of psychology that deals solely with observable behaviors and actions ignoring the conscious intent, meaning behind the behavior or the subjective aspects of human activity. Originated by John B. Watson it was the experiments of Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov which brought more notice to this foundation. Pavlov's experiments with feeding the

Foundations of Psychology

dog were further adapted by B.F. Skinner who believed punishment and reward are results of our behavior. Psychoanalysis is a school of sychology that was de!elo ed "y Sig#und Freud who was later regarded as $Father of Psychoanalysis%& 'his school of thought laced a great deal of e# hasis on the authority of the unconscious #ind on a erson(s #anners& Freud "elie!ed that the hu#an #ind was #ade of three ele#ents) id* ego* and su erego& +ccording to Freud* hu#ans are "orn with instincts for ersonal gratification that are contrary to the #ores of society& Society see,s to su ress these innate tendencies and art of the indi!idual(s nor#al de!elo #ent #eans successful #astery on "eha!ior* they can cause eo le to s ea, or act without "eing aware of the real causes of their actions& Further#ore* these su ressed i# ulses can "e e- ressed through e!eryday "eha!ior as well as "y drea#s and #ental illness& Psychodynamic understanding see,s to inter ret #eanings.to infer underlying wishes* fears* and atterns of thought fro# an indi!idual/s conscious* !er"ali0ed thought and "eha!ior1

2u#anist thin,ers dee#ed that "oth sychoanalysis and "eha!ioris# were !ery indifferent* failing to recei!e the arrange#ent of ersonal selection into account& 3eading hu#anists li,e +"raha# 4aslow and 5arl 6ogers did not agree with Freud that conscious rocesses were uni# ortant& 'hey "elie!e that hu#an "eings deter#ine their own fates through the conscious decisions they #a,e& 2u#anistic sychology focused on ros ecti!e and also aid attention to the #eaning of de!elo #ent and self.actuali0ation& 'he "asic "elief of hu#anistic sychology is that eo le are funda#entally good* with "oth #ental and social ro"le#s resulting fro# di!ergence fro# this nor#al ro ensity& 'his school of sychology ga!e rise to trans ersonal sychology& 7hile hu#anistic sychology was the first to ac,nowledge the !alue of a erson(s inner life as a source of truth* trans ersonal sychology attends to the whole erson8 "ody* #ind* and s irit and

Foundations of Psychology it focuses attention on hu#an ca acity for self.transcendence as well as self.reali0ation& 4oreo!er* it is concerned with the o ti#u# de!elo #ent of consciousness& :ts ioneers e- lain

that 'rans ersonal sychology offers a #ore inclusi!e !ision of hu#an otential* suggesting "oth a new i#age of the hu#an erson and a new world !iew distinguishing the# fro# the lower ani#als&&

'here are #any ers ecti!es on how the #ind wor,s and #any theories on how we "eha!e thin, or act& 4any schools of thought in the sychological world and the "iological foundation of the disci line are co# le-& 3i,e other sciences* sychology is continually changing* and de!elo ing& 'he #ore the hu#an #ind e- ands so will the study of sychology&

6eferences ;owals,i* 6&* < 7esten* D& =2011>& Psychology =?th ed&>& 6etrie!ed fro# 'he @ni!ersity of Phoeni- eBoo, 5ollection data"ase&