9 Important School of Psychology

In the previous chapter, we learned about the fundamental concept of Psychology Let's learn  9important School of Psychology 

9 Important School of Psychology

  1. Structuralism 
  2. Functionalism
  3. Gestalt Psychology
  4. Behaviorism
  5. Psychoanalysis
  6. Humanistic Perspective 
  7. Cognitive Perspective 
  8. Sociocultural Prospective 
  9. Evolutionary Perspective

1-Structuralism 

Structuralism is a school of thought that places a strong emphasis on investigating the fundamental structures of the human mind. The term "structuralism" refers to this type of point of view. It has connections to personalities such as Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener (who was Wundt's student), among other people. Wundt believed that consciousness could be broken down into its constituent parts, which included thoughts, experiences, emotions, and other essential elements, and that these constituent parts could be distinguished from one another.

It was called objective introspection when the practice of objectively assessing and measuring one's subjective experience was being carried out. The term "objectivity" refers to a method that is fair and unbiased, and this was the first attempt to bring objectivity and measurement into the discipline of psychology. Edward B. Titchener (1867-1927) was an American psychologist who was interested in learning more about the structure of the human mind. The rise of structuralism coincided with a passionate desire to comprehend the underlying components of consciousness. Although structuralalism was extremely powerful in the early 1900s, its influence began to decline after that period.The pioneer of experimental psychology, WILHELM WUNDT (1832-1920), was born in Germany in 1832.

Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt was born on August 16, 1832, in Neckarau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was the son of Johann Wilhelm Wundt and Anna Maria Wundt. Max Wundt was the youngest of four children born to Maximilian Wundt and his wife Marie Frederike, the youngest of whom was he. He began his formal education at a Catholic gymnasium, which he loathed and where he struggled to achieve academic success. He was transferred to another gymnasium in Heidelberg, where he completed his studies in 1851 and was awarded his diploma in the following year. While studying medicine at the university level, Wundt made tremendous success after getting off to a rocky start. Wundt was granted the opportunity to work as an assistant to Hermann von Helmholtz throughout his tenure at the Institute. It was published in two volumes in 1873 and 1874, respectively, and is considered a foundational work in the field of physiological psychology. A crucial notion of his experimental psychology was proposed in this work, which served as an inspiration for scientists all around the world to pursue scientific psychology as a career.

2-Functionalism:

It was heavily influenced by Darwin's theory of natural selection (functionalists believed that the theory could be applied to psychological characteristics), and the focus of his research was on functions of mind and behaviour (such as learning, memory, problem-solving, and motivation), rather than on biological characteristics (for example, intelligence). In 1859, John Dewey (1859-1952) developed the functionalist theory, which focused on what the mind and behaviour do, as well as on how they enable a person to adapt to new and difficult conditions. William James (1842-1910), who was interested in how the mind allows people to function in the real world, was one of the most significant contributors. In order to better characterise this approach, the term "functionalism" was coined. At Harvard University, James played a pivotal role in the establishment of the psychology laboratory.

3-Gestalt Psychology

 (also known as Gestalt Therapy) is a branch of psychology that studies how people think and feel.

The investigation of sensations was carried out by psychologists in the later stages of their careers in order to get a better knowledge of the mind. Gestalt psychology was founded in Germany in 1912 by three individuals born in the same year: Max Wertheimer (1880-1943), Kurt Koffka (1886-1941), and Wolfgang Kohler (1887-1967), all of whom were born in the year 1912. They placed a heavy focus on the holistic concept of sensory experience, linking sensations to interpersonal interactions and the general structure of the organization as a whole. They explored the mind by bringing organizational concepts to the study of human behaviour, which they found to be effective.

4-behaviorism:

In the early twentieth century, two psychologists, John B. Watson (1879-1958) and Burrhus Fredrick Skinner (1904-1990), rejected the mind as a legitimate research subject and insisted that psychology should only examine overt forms of behavior, while ignoring covert processes. They placed a higher emphasis on the study of animal and human behaviour, as well as the activities in which they engage. In his talk, Watson emphasized the relevance of conditioned reactions, learned behaviour, and animal behavior, among other things. That salivation can be stimulated by stimuli other than food was discovered by Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936), a physiologist whose studies of digestion earned him the Nobel Prize in 1904 for his work. This prompted him to conduct a thorough investigation into the conditioned reaction.

5-Psychoanalysis:

Sigmund Freud, an Austrian psychiatrist, is widely recognized for creating psychoanalysis in the early twentieth century (1856-1938). Sigmund Freud asserted that unconscious motivation is critical in the development of neurological illnesses, and he emphasized the importance of early childhood events in the development of one's own personality. Freud believed that the manifestation of urges and drives can be seen in both behaviors and thought and that this is supported by research. The primary focus of this paper is on the significance of unconscious ideas, memories, and feelings in our lives. When unconscious ideas and memories are revealed through free-talking and dream interpretation, this method is referred to as psychoanalysis, and it is also known as psychotherapy. Sigmund Freud had a significant influence on psychologists such as Carl Jung (1875–1961), Alfred Adler (1870–1937), Karen Horney (1855–1952), and Erik Erikson (1855–1952), all of whom were affected by him (1902-1994). Neo-Freudians were a group of people who followed a psychodynamic approach to therapy, and they were known as psychodynamic therapists (New Freudians).

6-The Humanistic Point of View:

This notion is referred to as the 'third force' in psychology, and it is concerned with people's ability to direct their own lives, according to the definition. The freedom to choose one's own future, the quest of self-actualization, and the realization of one's own potential are among the most significant aspects of human beings. One of the most influential creators is Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), and the other is Carl Rogers (1906-1990). (1902-1987).

 7-Cognitive Perspective 

A fresh interest in the study of higher-order cognitive functions has been prompted by the gestalt approach, as well as the introduction of personal computers. This perspective, which gained popularity in the 1960s and placed a strong emphasis on memory, intelligence, language, problem-solving, and decisionmaking, was formulated and refined. A few of the most important contributors were Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850–1909), a German psychologist who pioneered the study of memory by investigating the formation of associations by learning serial lists of nonsense syllables, and Sir Frederic Bartlett (1886–1969), an English psychologist who investigated the cognitive and social processes of remembering.

 8-Sociocultural perspective:

With the social and cultural variables that influence human behavior and decision-making as the primary focus, the study is comprehensive. It is important to undertake research from this point of view because it can shed light on the many influences of the environment, social norms, socioeconomic inequities, ethnic identity, and other variables on individuals' lives. Sociocultural psychologists have discovered that the norms of western cultures tend largely toward individualism, whereas the norms of eastern cultures lean heavily toward a group or interdependent conduct. The cognitive dissonance theory, developed by social psychologist Leon Festinger (1919-1989), asserts that a person is aware on some level if she or he acts in a way that is inconsistent with her or his belief, attitude, or opinion. Festinger proposed the theory in the 1950s. In 1989, Festinger passed away.

9-The Evolutionary Point of View

It was Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection that served as an influence for this point of view. Darwin was the first to propose evolution, which he characterized as consisting of three main components: variation, heredity, and selection. He was also the first to suggest the term "evolutionary theory." Adaptations and products of natural selection, such as internal mechanisms, have aided humans (and other living species) in their endeavors to survive and reproduce across the globe. Human genetic predispositions or behaviors, such as violence, are believed to be determined by genes and passed down from one generation to the next by natural selection, say evolutionary psychologists. Using an evolutionary approach to investigate behavior (aggression, mating, and so on) in different species may indicate how evolution may have influenced these behaviors in the past.

Additionally, they emphasize the significance of sociocultural factors that may have played a role in the actual behaviors. David Buss is widely regarded as one of the most influential pioneers in the field of evolutionary psychology.

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