Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Psychology

Functionalism

1875

William James (1842-1910) wrote the first textbook of psychology. Throughout his studies he kept one thing in mind- all activities of the mind help us serve one major function which is to help us survive. Functionalists study how mental processes help animals and people adapt to their environment.

Structuralism

1879

Structuralism is the interest in the basic elements of human experience. In 1879, Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1920) pursued the study of human behavior in a systematic and scientific manner. He developed the method of introspection.

Gestalt Pyschology

1880

Gestalt psychologists studied how sensations are assembled into perceptual experiences. Max Wertheimer (1880-1943), Wolfgang Kohler (1887-1967), and Kurt Koffka (1886-1941) all argued that perception is more than the sum of its parts, it involves a whole pattern or "gestalt".

Inheritable Traits

1883

Sir Francis Galton (1822-1911) published Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development and is regarded as the first study of individual differences. Galton wanted to understand how heredity influences a person's abilities and behavior. He concluded that genius or eminence is hereditary.

Psychoanalytic Psychology

1938

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was interested in the unconscious mind and used the technique free association to study just that.

Behavioral Psychology

1940

Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) conditioned reflex and got a response that was provoked by stimulus. The concept was used by other psychologists and those who investigated the observable behaviors became behaviorists.

Cognitive Psychology

1950

Cognitivists focus on how we process, store, and use information and how this information influences us. People like Jean Piaget, Noam Chomksy, and Leon Festinger have all contributed to this. They believe behavior is influenced by a variety of things.

Humanistic Psychology

1960

Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and Rollo May observed human nature as evolving and self-directed.

Biological Psychology

1980

Psychobiologists study how the brain, nervous system, hormones, and genetics influences our behavior. Psychobiologists can use machines and scans to help their study. They have found genetic factors influence behaviors.

Sociocultural Psychology

1990

This is the study of the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences in behavior and social functioning. Leonard Doob showed the cultural implications of a simple behavior like sneezing.