AP Psychology: History and Approaches

Structuralism

Developed by Edward Titchener and Wilhelm Wundt. Based on the idea that the mind operates by combining subjective emotions and objective sensations. Methods included introspection and experiments.

Functionalism

Developed by William James. Studied how the mind works in allowing an organism to adapt to the environment through naturalistic observation of animal and human behavior.

Psychoanalysis

Developed by Sigmund Freud. Emphasized the unconscious mind and its role in human development through individualized cases. Its goals were to explain human personality and behavior, and to develop techniques for treating mental disorders.

Behaviorism

Developed by John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner. Studied only observable behavior and explained behavior via learning principles through observation of the relationship between environmental stimuli and behavioral responses. Dominant school of thought from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Gestalt psychology

Developed by Max Wertheimer. "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Tried to describe the organization of mental processes through observation of sensory/perceptual phenomena.

Biological approach

In this approach, behavior and behavior disorders are seen as the result of physical processes, especially those relating to the brain, hormones, and other chemicals.

Evolutionary approach

This approach emphasizes the inherited, adaptive aspects of behavior and mental processes. Examines human thoughts and actions in terms of natural selection.

Psychodynamic approach

This approach emphasizes the interplay of unconscious mental processes in determining human thought, feelings, and behavior.

Behavioral approach

This approach emphasizes that human behavior is determined by what a person has learned, especially from rewards and punishments.

Cognitive approach

This approach examines human thought and behavior in terms of how we interpret, process, and remember environmental events.

Humanistic approach

This approach views behavior as controlled by the decisions that people make about their lives based on their perceptions of the world and are guided by their physiological, emotional, or spiritual needs. Stresses individual choice and free will.

Sociocultural approach

This approach emphasizes the influence culture has on the way we think and act.

Psychology

The science of behavior and mental processes.

Biological psychologists

Analyze the biological factors influencing behavior and mental processes.

Developmental psychologists

Seek to understand, describe, and explore how behavior and mental processes change over a lifetime.

Cognitive psychologists

Study mental processes underlying different aspects of human thought and cognition.

Engineering psychologists

Study human factors in the use of equipment and help designers create better versions of that equipment.

Personality psychologists

Study the characteristics that make individuals similar to and different from each other.

Clinical and counseling psychologists

Seek to assess, understand, and change abnormal behavior.

Community psychologists

Work to obtain psychological services for people in need of help and try to prevent disorders by working for changes in social systems.

Health psychologists

Study the effects of behavior and mental processes on health and illness and vice versa.

Educational psychologists

Study methods by which instructors teach and students learn, and who apply their results to improving such methods.

School psychologists

Test IQs, diagnose students' academic problems, and set up programs to improve students' achievement.

Social psychologists

Study how people influence one another's behavior and mental processes, individually and in groups.

Industrial/organizational psychologists

Study ways to improve efficiency, productivity, and satisfaction among workers and the organizations that employ them.

Quantitative psychologists

Develop and use statistical tools to analyze research data.

Sport psychologists

Explore the relationships between athletic performance and such psychological variables as motivation and emotion.

Forensic psychologists

Assist in jury selection, evaluate defendant's mental competence to stand trial, and deal with other issues involving psychology and the law.

Environmental psychologists

Study the effects of the physical environment on behavior and mental processes.