Schools of Psychology

When Psychology was first

established as a science separate
form biology and philosophy the
debate over how to describe
behavior and human mind began.
 Structuralism
• First school of Psychology and focused on
breaking down mental processes into the
most basic components.
• Wilhelm Wundt
• 1st psychology lab
Major Structuralist Thinkers
• Wilhelm Wundt
• Edward B. Tichner
 Criticism of structuralism
• Experimental method is too subjective, use of
introspection led to lack of reliability in
results.
• Too concerned with internal behavior which is
not directly observed and cannot be
accurately measured.
 Strength of Structuralism

• First major Psychology

• Influenced experimental Psychology
 Functionalism

• Influenced by the work of William James and

evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin.

• Explain mental process in more systematic and

accurate manner.

• Focus on purpose of conscious and behavior.

 Major functionalist thinkers

• William James

• John Dewey

• Harvey Carr

• John Angell
 Criticism of Functionalism

• “It is literature, it is beautiful, but it is not

Psychology” said William Wundt.
 Strength of Functionalism

• Influenced behaviorism and applied

Psychology.

• Influenced educational system.

 Behaviorism
• Give me a dozen of healthy infants, well
formed and my own specified world to bring
them up in and ill will guarantee to take any
one random and train him to become any type
of specialist I might select- doctor, lawyer,
artist and yes even bagger regardless of his
talents, tendencies, abilities and race of his
ancestors.
• Dominant school of thought during 1950.

• Behavior can be explained by environmental

causes rather than by internal forces.

• Focused on observable behavior.

• Behavior can be studied in a systematic and

observable manner with no consideration of
internal mental states.
• All behavior can acquired through
conditioning.

• Types of Conditioning

• Classical Conditioning

• Operant Conditioning
 Thinkers In Behaviorism

• Ivan Pavlov

• B. F. Skinner

• Edward Thorndike

• John B. Watson

• Clark Hull
 Criticism Of Behaviorism

• One dimensional approach to behavior and do

not account for free will and internal influence
such as mood, thoughts and feelings.
• Does not account for other types of learning
that occurs without the use of reinforcement
and punishment.
 Strengths of Behaviorism

• Based upon observable behaviors, it is easier

to quantify and collect data and information
when conducting research.

• Effective therapeutic techniques .

 Psychoanalysis
• Sigmund Freud was the founder
• Emphasized the influence of unconscious
mind on behavior.
• Human mind has composer of three elements
id
ego
super ego
 Major thinkers

• Sigmund Freud

• Anna Freud

• Erik Erikson
 Criticism of Psychoanalysis
• Overemphasized the unconscious mind,
aggression and childhood experiences.
• Psychoanalytical theories are difficult to
measure and quantify.
• Most of ideas are based on case studies and
clinical observations rather than scientific and
empirical approach.
 Strengths of Psychoanalysis
• Psychoanalytical theory contributed to
experimental Psychology.
• Many theories of personality are still
influential e.g. Erikson’s theory of psychosocial
stages and Freud's Psychosexual stages.
• Bring up a new view on mental illness. Suggest
that talking with professionals could help to
symptoms relieve.
 Humanistic Psychology
• Both psychoanalysis and behaviorism were
too prismatic.
• Instead on each individual's growth and
development focused on self actualization.
• Third force of psychology
• People are innately good, with mental and
social problems resulting from this natural
tendency.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs
 Major thinkers in Humanistic

• Abraham Maslow

• Carl Rogers

• Rollo May
Criticism of Humanistic Psychology

• Too subjective e.g. importance of individual

experience makes it difficult to objectively
study

• Observations are unverifiable there is no

accurate way to measure these qualities.
 Strong points of Humanistic
Psychology
• Emphasis the role of individual gives credit to
individual in determine their mental states
• Gives credit to environmental factors
• Influence therapy, education, health care and
other areas.
• Remove the stigma attach with therapy and
made it more acceptable for normal, healthy
individuals to explore their abilities.
 Gestalt Psychology

• Looks human mind and behavior as a whole.

• Response to structuralism of Wundt.

Major Gestalt Psychologist

Max Werthmier
Kurt Koffka
Wolfgang Kohler
Gestalt law of Perceptual Organization

• The whole is different from some of it’s parts.

• How smaller objects are grouped from larger

one’s.
 Cognitive Psychology
• How people think, perceive, remember and
learn.
• How people acquire process and store
information.
Major Aspects of Cognitive Psychology

• Concerned with internal mental state.

• Scientific research method to study mental

processes.