Early schools of psychology Flashcards
What is STRUCTURALISM?
Measured basic elements of conscious experiences to provide scientific evidence to understand/identify/categorize and break down sensations into basic elements of the structure of psychological experiences, used introspection as key research tool.
What period is STRUCTURALISM known for?
Late 19th century.
Who are the historically important people connected to structuralism?
⌱Wilhelm Wundt
⌱Edward B. Titchener, a student of Wundt.
What important discoveries was STRUCTURALISM responsible for?
⌱Difference between the SENSATION of a stimulus & the PERCEPTION of that stimulus.
⌱Marked beginning of psychology as a SCIENCE bc it demonstrated that mental events can be quantified/measured.
What is FUNCTIONALISM?
Attempted to explain behavior, emotion, thought as active adaptations that have continually evolved since beginning times. Emphasis on purpose of particular human behavior. Inspired by Darwin’s work in biology.
What period is functionalism known for?
Late 19th century, 1870-1900s
Who are the historically important people connected to functionalism?
⌱William James (main founder)
⌱John Dewey
What important discoveries was FUNCTIONALISM responsible for?
⌱
What is the PSYCHODYNAMIC PSCHOLOGY school of psychology?
Examined how unconscious mental processes (feelings, memories + childhood experiences) affects/explains/influences behavior.
What period is psychodynamic psychology known for?
Very late 19th - early 20th century
Who are the historically important people connected to psychodynamics?
⌱Sigmund Freud
⌱Erik Erikson
What are psychodynamic psychology’s major contributions?
⌱Idea that early childhood experiences are critical
⌱concept of therapy as a way of improving human lives.
What is BEHAVIORISM?
Rejected idea of objectively studying mind, focused on studying observable behavior (relationships between stimuli & response to stimuli)
Who are the historically important people connected to behaviorism?
⌱Ivan Pavlov, Russian physiologist (1849-1936)
⌱John B. Watson (1878-1958)
⌱B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)
What period is behaviorism known for?
Early 20th century.
What are behaviorism’s major contributions?
⌱Able to successfully predict behavior without knowing what happens in the “black box” of the human mind.
⌱Developed laws of learning that can explain all behaviors.
⌱Successfully applied rewards/reinforcements to train animals.
⌱Identified principles of learning (later evidence proved it wasn’t as simple as they thought)
What is the COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT school of psychology?
Studies mental processes: thinking, memory, judgement, problem-solving, decision-making, & growth of these mental processes/thoughts & language processes in infants & children.
What period is cognitive development known for?
1920s - 1930s.
Who are the historically important people connected to cognitive development psychology?
⌱Jean Piaget (1896-1980), Swiss psychologist.
⌱Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), Russian psychologist.
What are the major contributions of cognitive development psychology?
⌱Piaget’s theory tracking development of children’s thinking in 4 major stages, each w several substages.
⌱Children see the world differently (don’t understand different minds (theirs & urs) can know different things)
⌱EGOCENTRISM, in child’s thinking is centered in their OWN view of world.
What is HUMANISTIC psychology?
Rejects only focusing on disorders & problems. Emphasizes development of a healthy, effectively functioning person by focusing on potential of individuals & their unique viewpoint & consciousness.
What period is the humanistic school of psychology known for?
The 1950s - 1960s.
Who are the historically important people connected to behaviorism?
⌱Abraham Maslow
⌱Carl Rogers
