early school of thought

structuralism

• developed by Wilhelm Wundt (founder of psychology)

• focuses on the analysis of consciousness through introspection, the process of examining ones own thoughts/experiences

• aimed to indentify the basic elements (structures) of human consciousness

functionalism

• pioneered by William James, one of the most influental early American psychologist.

• emphasizes the study of the purpose and function of mental processes in adapting to the environment

behaviorism

• founded by John B. Watson and further developed by B.F Skinner

• rejects the study of consciousness and focuses on observable behavior

• believes that behavior can be explained by conditioning and learning principles

psychoanalyzes

• founded by Sigmund Freud

• emphasizes the role of the unconscious mind and the influence of early childhood experiences on an individuals personality

• high lights the importance of analyzing dreams, free association, and other techniques to uncover hidden motivations

gestalt psychology

• developed by Max Wertheimer, Kurt Kuffa, and Wolfgang Kohler

• emphasizes the study of perception, emphasizing the idea that the whole is greather than the sum of its parts

• investigates how people percieve and organize sensory information

humanistic psychology

• led by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

• focuses on the individuals self-actualization and personal growth

• emphasizes the importance of self concept and free will in determining behavior

cognitive psychology

• emerged in the mid 20th century as a reaction to behaviorism

• examines mental processes (thinking, problem solving, memory + langauage)

• emphasizes the role of information processing in understanding human behavior