Unit 1:Biological Bases of B

1. Psychology

  • The scientific study of behavior (anything observable) and mental processes (thoughts, feelings, perceptions).

  • Modern definition → broader than just “study of the mind.”

2. Structuralism

  • Early school of thought founded by Wilhelm Wundt & Edward Titchener.

  • Method: introspection (looking inward at your own thoughts/feelings).

  • Aim: identify the basic structures of the mind.

  • Weakness: unreliable, subjective (different people describe experiences differently).

3. Functionalism

  • Influenced by William James & Charles Darwin.

  • Focus: how behaviors/mental processes function to help us survive, adapt, and flourish.

  • Example: emotions like fear help prepare us for danger.

4. Behaviorism

  • Founded by John B. Watson & B.F. Skinner (early 1900s).

  • Said psychology should:

    1. Be objective (no introspection).

    2. Study only observable behavior, not mental processes.

  • Shaped psychology into a science of behavior.

5. Humanistic Psychology

  • Pioneers: Carl Rogers & Abraham Maslow (1950s).

  • Focused on human growth, potential, and needs.

  • Emphasized importance of love, acceptance, and personal growth → reaction against behaviorism & Freudian psychology.