History of Psychology

Question 1

What are the origins of Psychology?

Answer 1

It evolved out of philosophy and biology/physiology. Date as far back as the early Greek thinkers. (Aristotle and Socrates)

Question 2

Structuralism (Major perspectives in the History of Psychology)

Answer 2

Conscious Mental Processes
key people - Wilhelm Wundt and Edward B. Titchener

Question 3

Functionalism (Major perspectives in the History of Psychology)

Answer 3

Conscious Mental Processes
key person - William James

Question 4

Psychoanalysis

Answer 4

Unconscious Mental Processes
key person - Sigmund Freud

Question 5

Humanism (Major perspectives in the History of Psychology)

Answer 5

Conscious Mental Processes
key people - Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers

Question 6

Behaviourism (Major perspectives in the History of Psychology)

Answer 6

Observable behaviour (Major perspectives in the History of Psychology)
key people - Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, B.F. Skinner

Question 7

Focus of structuralism?

Answer 7

• supports the idea that psychology was the science of conscious experience and that trained observers could accurately describe thoughts, feeling and emotions
• fundamental elements that form the foundation of thinking, consciousness, emotions and other kinds of mental states or activities
• stressed importance of basic sensory and perceptual processes
• measured how long people take to react and how long they take to be conscious of their awareness

Question 8

Who where the key people in structuralism? What did they do/say?

Answer 8

WHILHELM WUNDT - regarded as the father of Psychology
interested in measuring ‘atoms of the mind’ by applying laboratory techniques. three areas of mental functioning in experiment (thoughts, images, and feelings)
EDWARD B. TITCHENER - considered father of structuralism, advocated the use of technique - introspection (looking inward) this proved unreliable

Question 9

Importance of structuralism

Answer 9

First school of thought

Paved the way for experimental and cognitive psychology

Question 10

Limitation/s of structuralism

Answer 10

Subjective - required smart, verbal people and its results varied from person to person