The different schools of psychology represent the major theories within the field of psychological science.
Almost immediately, other theories began to emerge and vie for dominance.
In the past, psychologists often identified themselves exclusively with one single school of thought.
Verywell / JR Bee
Today, most psychologists have an eclectic outlook on psychology.
They often draw on ideas and theories from different schools rather than holding to any singular perspective.
The Structuralist School of Psychology
Structuralismis widely regarded as the first school of thought in psychology.
This outlook focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components.
Major thinkers associated with structuralism include Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener.
Structuralism focused on reducing mental processes to their most basic elements.
Structuralists used techniques such asintrospectionto analyze the inner processes of the human mind.
The introspective experimental technique used by the structuralists involved having trained observers examine their inner responses.
It functioned on the mind’s functions and adaptations.
Instead of focusing on the mental processes themselves, functionalist thinkers were interested in theroles and functionsof these processes.
Functionalist thinkers, includingJohn Dewey, James Rowland Angell, and Harvey Carr, are associated with this outlook.
Some thinkers associated with the Gestalt school of thought included Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Koffka.
Some examples of Gestalt thinking include explanations for optical phenomena, such as visual illusions.
Wertheimer described the phi phenomenon by observing how alternating railway lights created the illusion of movement.
The phenomenon suggests that a succession of images seen in rapid sequence are perceived as moving.
The Behaviorist School of Psychology
Behaviorismbecame a dominant school of thought during the 1950s.
It was based upon the work of thinkers such asJohn B. Watson,Ivan Pavlov, andB.
Behaviorism is focused onobservable behavior.
This school of thought suggests that all behavior can be explained by environmental causes rather than internal forces.
Many ideas and techniques that emerged from this school of thought are still widely used today.
The Psychoanalytic School of Psychology
Psychoanalysisis a school of psychology founded bySigmund Freud.
This school of thought emphasized the influence of theunconscious mindon behavior.
Other major psychoanalytic thinkers includedAnna Freudand Otto Rank andneo-Freudianssuch asErik Erikson,Alfred Adler, and Karen Horney.
Freud believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: theid, ego, and superego.
Freud believed that the interaction of these three elements led to all of the complex human behaviors.
Recap
Freud’s school of thought was enormously influential, but also generated considerable debate.
This controversy existed not only in his time but also in modern discussions of Freud’s theories.
The Humanistic School of Psychology
Humanistic psychologydeveloped as a response to psychoanalysis and behaviorism.
This particular branch of psychology is centered on helping people live happier, more fulfilling lives.
Cognitive psychology emerged during the 1950s, partly as a response to behaviorism.
Critics of behaviorism noted that it failed to account for how internal processes impacted behavior.
CBT is an approach to treatment that focuses on how automatic negative thought patterns influence behavior and psychological problems.
Topics of interest in this school of thought include genetics, brain structure, hormones, and neurotransmitters.
This school of thought takes an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating aspects of psychology, biology, and neuroscience.
This school of thought emphasizes the study of the biological causes of mental health conditions.
Treatments rooted in this approach may focus on medications that help improve neurotransmitter balances to address brain abnormalities.
Some more recent schools of psychology, including behaviorism and cognitive psychology, remain highly influential.
Today, many psychologists do not align themselves solely with a single school of thought.
Instead, they may take a more eclectic approach, drawing upon many different perspectives and theoretical backgrounds.
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