 Structuralism: This school of thought, founded by Wilhelm Wundt, focuses on

the structure of the mind and how it can be broken down into its component
parts.

 Functionalism: This school of thought, founded by William James, focuses on

the function of the mind and how it helps us to adapt to our environment.

 Behaviourism: This school of thought, founded by John B. Watson, focuses

on observable behaviour and how it is learned.

 Psychoanalysis: This school of thought, founded by Sigmund Freud, focuses

on the unconscious mind and how it influences our thoughts, feelings, and
behaviours.

 Humanism: This school of thought, founded by Abraham Maslow, focuses on

the individual's potential for growth and self-actualization.

 Cognitivism: This school of thought, which emerged in the 1950s, focuses on

the mental processes that underlie behaviour, such as attention, memory, and
reasoning.

 Evolutionary psychology: This school of thought, which emerged in the 1970s,

focuses on the ways in which human behaviour has been shaped by
evolution.

 Cultural psychology: This school of thought, which emerged in the 1980s,

focuses on the ways in which culture influences human behaviour.

These are just a few of the many different schools of psychology. Each school of
thought has its own strengths and weaknesses, and no single school of thought can
fully explain human behaviour. However, by understanding the different
perspectives, psychologists can gain a more complete understanding of how people
think, feel, and behave.

It is important to note that these schools of thought are not mutually exclusive. In
fact, many psychologists today incorporate elements of multiple schools of thought in
their work. The best approach to use in a particular situation will depend on the
individual client and the problem they are facing.
Structuralism

Structuralism is a school of thought in psychology that emerged in the late 19th

century. It is based on the belief that the mind can be broken down into its
component parts, or "structures." These structures are thought to be the building
blocks of consciousness, and they can be studied through introspection, a method of
self-observation.

The founder of structuralism was Wilhelm Wundt, who established the first
psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879. Wundt believed that psychology
should be a science that studies the mind in the same way that physics studies the
physical world. He used introspection to study the contents of consciousness, such
as sensations, feelings, and images.

Wundt's student, Edward B. Titchener, further developed structuralism. Titchener

believed that the mind could be broken down into three basic structures: sensations,
images, and feelings. He also developed a system of classifying these structures,
called the Elements of Psychology.

Structuralism was a major force in psychology in the early 20th century, but it has
since been largely superseded by other approaches, such as behaviourism and
cognitive psychology. However, structuralism continues to have an influence on
some areas of psychology, such as psycholinguistics and personality theory.

Here are some of the key concepts of structuralism:

 The mind is a structure: The mind is not a blank slate, but a complex system
of interacting parts.

 The goal of psychology is to understand the structure of the

mind: Psychologists should use introspection to study the contents of
consciousness and identify the basic structures of the mind.

 The mind is made up of elements: The mind is made up of basic units of

experience, such as sensations, images, and feelings.
  The elements of the mind can be combined to form more complex
experiences: The elements of the mind can be combined to form more
complex experiences, such as thoughts, memories, and emotions.

Structuralism has been criticized for being too reductionist and for ignoring the role of
individual experience in shaping human behaviour. However, it has also been
praised for its insights into the nature of consciousness and the structure of the mind.

Here are some of the limitations of structuralism:

 It is difficult to study the mind through introspection: Introspection is a

subjective method, and it is difficult to be sure that people are accurately
reporting their own experiences.

 The mind is too complex to be broken down into simple elements: The mind is
a complex system, and it is difficult to identify the basic structures that make it
up.

 Structuralism ignores the role of individual experience: Structuralism assumes

that the mind is the same for everyone, but this is not always the case. Our
experiences shape the way we think and feel, and structuralism does not take
this into account.

Despite its limitations, structuralism was a significant contribution to the field of

psychology. It helped to establish psychology as a scientific discipline, and it paved
the way for other approaches to psychology, such as behaviourism and cognitive
psychology.

Functionalism

Functionalism is a school of thought in psychology that emerged in the late 19th

century in the United States. It is based on the belief that the mind and behaviour
should be studied in terms of their functions, or how they help us adapt to our
environment.

Functionalism was a reaction to the structuralist approach to psychology, which

focused on the elements of consciousness and the structure of the mind.
Functionalists argued that these elements were not important in themselves, but only
in terms of their function. They also argued that the mind should be studied in its
entirety, not just its parts.

The most influential functionalist psychologists were William James and John
Dewey. James was a philosopher and psychologist who is considered the father of
American psychology. He argued that the mind is a stream of consciousness that is
constantly changing. Dewey was a philosopher and educator who believed that
psychology should be used to solve practical problems. He developed the theory of
pragmatism, which holds that the meaning of an idea is determined by its
consequences.

Functionalism had a major impact on the development of psychology. It helped to

shift the focus of psychology from the study of the mind to the study of behaviour. It
also helped to promote the use of empirical methods in psychology.

Some of the key concepts of functionalism include:

 The mind is an organ of adaptation: The mind is not a static entity, but a
dynamic system that is constantly changing in order to adapt to the
environment.

 Behaviour is goal-directed: Behaviour is not random, but is motivated by the

desire to achieve certain goals.

 Psychology should be practical: Psychology should be used to solve practical

problems, not just to understand the mind.

Functionalism has been criticized for being too focused on behaviour and for
ignoring the role of unconscious processes in shaping behaviour. However, it has
also been praised for its insights into the nature of the mind and behaviour.
Functionalism continues to have an influence on psychology today. It is one of the
foundations of cognitive psychology, which studies the mental processes that
underlie behaviour. It is also used in some areas of psychotherapy, such as cognitive
behavioural therapy.

Here are some examples of how functionalism is used in psychology:

 A cognitive psychologist might study how people learn to solve

problems. They would be interested in the mental processes that people use
to solve problems, such as attention, memory, and reasoning.

 A therapist might use cognitive behavioural therapy to help a client with

anxiety. They would help the client to identify the thoughts and behaviours
that are contributing to their anxiety and to develop new ways of thinking and
behaving.

Functionalism is a valuable approach to psychology because it helps us to

understand how the mind and behaviour work in order to adapt to our environment. It
is also a practical approach that can be used to solve real-world problems.