INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Activity no. 1

Name: Cassandra F. Agustin Date: 08-19-21

Direction: Read the statement carefully and write your answer in sentences form.

1. Among the traditional schools of psychology mentioned, which do you think is the most
applicable for you as a psychology student? Justify your answer
2. Choose one that has least importance and explain why?

Answers:

1. Although all of the traditional schools of psychology mentioned make sense, based on my
understanding of the different traditional schools of psychology, the thought of the three
aforementioned schools can also be ruled in or explained in Sir Freud’s school of psychology.
Personally, I relate more to it than the first three schools. For instance, when I am asked why I
am less into dogs and or animals in general, I, without a second tell them the story of how I was
almost bitten by a dog as child; and how I felt petrified when a lion roared next to my ear during
our first Grade field trip at the Malabon Zoo.

In terms of applicability, from my standpoint as a first year psychology student, the subject
matter applies more to how my course and my future profession work. One of the reasons why I
took psychology is that I wanted to be a psychotherapist and hopefully a psychoanalyst. And
based on what I have learned, read from books and online articles, the whole psychotherapy
and psycho analysis therapy is mostly based on Sir Sigmund Freud’s school of psychology. To
add more, From what I remember from my senior high school professors/advisers who are
licensed educators and psychometricians, psychoanalysis is one of the reasons why therapists
are able to help their clients into recovery from some of their mental illnesses. The whole
psychoanalytic therapy helps them unveil the deep rooted unconsciousness into consciousness,
which will result to the unfolding of childhood and or past traumas, which will best explain how
the client behaves the way they do on the present time. And once the memories are resurfaced,
they will be able to examine the problem and help the client go thru his or her recovery.

In our previous lecture, it was mentioned that psychology is the scientific study of human
behavior and mental processes. Hence, why I think psychoanalysis applies more so than the
other traditional school of psychology for the reasons stated above.
2. Although all of the traditional schools of psychology mentioned make sense, based on my
understanding, functionalism has the least importance. From what I have understood,
functionalism is basically how the mind of a man works in the environment. I think functionalism
falls more into the school of thought or philosophy, rather than school of psychology-if we’re
talking about how man works in the society, his roles in it, following the norms, belonging in an
institution. However, if we’re talking about mental state, or internal state, I think the other
schools of psychology such as, structuralism or behaviorism and other sciences such as anatomy
would explain it profoundly than functionalism.

Nonetheless, as a student, learning about this traditional school of psychology is still as vital
as learning about the other schools of psychology.