History and Approaches

different approaches of psychology and key people to remember

Wilhelm Wundt

set up the first psychological laboratory in 1879 in Germany; trained subjects in introspection

introspection

the examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes

structuralism

school of thought that believes the mind operates by combining subjective emotions and objective sensations; advocates for an introspective approach to psychology, focusing on understanding the individual structures that make up our consciousness

William James

founder of functionalism, published The Principles of Psychology (first psychology textbook) in 1890

functionalism

school of thought that focuses on the purpose of behavior pertaining to helping humans adapt to their environment; analyses mental states and behaviors in terms of their purposes

Margaret Floy Washburn

the first woman to earn a PhD in psychology

G. Stanley Hall

pioneered the study of child development and was the first president of the APA

introspection psychologists

Wilhelm Wundt, William James, and G. Stanley Hall

gestalt psychology

school of thought that examined a person’s total experience; believed that the whole of anything is greater than its parts

Max Wertheimer

gestalt psychologist that argued against dividing human thought and behavior into discrete structures

Sigmund Freud

founder of psychoanalysis

unconscious mind

concept in psychoanalysis that there is a part of our mind over which we do not have conscious control that determines how we think and behave

repression

in psychoanalysis, the idea that we push down events or feelings into our unconscious in order to avoid unwanted feelings of anxiety and tension that our conscious mind cannot deal with

John B. Watson

one of the establishers of behaviorism; declared that for psychology to be considered a science, it must be limited to only observable phenomena

Ivan Pavlov

russian and soviet experimental neurologist and physiologist known for his discovery of classical conditioning through his experiments with dogs

behaviorism

school of thought that believes psychologists should look only at behavior and causes of behavior

B.F. Skinner

psychologist that expanded the basic ideas of behaviorism to include the idea of reinforcement

reinforcement

idea in behaviorism that environmental stimuli either encourage or discourage certain responses

behavioralist psychologists

John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner

humanist psychologists

Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

humanist perspective

perspective that believe the individual chooses most of their behaviors and these choices are guided by physiological, emotional, or spiritual needs; stressed individual choice and free will

deterministic behaviorists

psychologists that theorized that all behaviors are caused by past conditioning

Abraham Maslow

humanist psychologist best known for creating a hierarchy of needs

Carl Rogers

humanist psychologist who was known for his client-centered approach to psychotherapy and developed the concept of unconditional positive regard

biopsychologists

psychologists who explain human thought and behavior strictly in terms of biological processes

biopsychology / neuroscience perspective

perspective that believes human cognition and reactions are caused by effects of our genes, hormones, and neurotransmitters in the brain

evolutionary perspective

evolutionary psychologists

sometimes called sociobiologists; examine human thoughts and actions in terms of natural selection

evolutionary / darwinian perspective

perspective that believes some psychological traits might be advantageous for survival, and these traits would be passed down from parents to the next generation

behavioral perspective

perspective that looks strictly at observable behaviors and human/animal responses to different kinds of stimuli

behaviorists

psychologists who explain human thought and behavior in terms of conditioning

cognitive perspective

perspective that believes the rules that we use to view the world are important to understanding why we think and behave the way that we do

cognitive psychologists

psychologists who examine human thought and behavior in terms of how we interpret, process, and remember environmental events

Jean Piaget

cognitive psychologist known for his work in child development and creation of his cognitive developmental theory

sociocultural perspective

perspective that looks at the influence culture has on the way we think and act

sociocultural psychologists

psychologists who look at how our thoughts and behaviors vary across cultures

biopsychosocial perspective

modern perspective of psychology that acknowledges human thinking and behavior as resulting from combinations of biological, psychological, and social factors