Psychology has several schools of thought or theories and they often offer different perspectives on how to study psychology as a subject.
Psychology first emerged as a science of its own when there was an argument over how the human mind works. At first, there were several theories but German physiologist Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt was the first philosopher to open a psychological laboratory in 1897.
Wilhelm Wundt is recognized for his works and is today regarded as the founder of psychology. Wundt also initiated the very first school of thought which we know today as structuralism.
A school of thought consist of individuals with the same ideology who share a common understanding. Different schools of thought exist today and they have been studied for a meaningful understanding of how the human mind works.
What Is a School of Thought?
Psychology is the study of the human mind and a school of thought describes a group of individuals who share a common ideology, philosophy, and intellect.
It identifies individuals who belong to a particular group based on their beliefs or practices relating to a specific subject.
Also Read: 15 Best Psychology Schools in the World 2023
Major Schools of Thought in Psychology
Let’s explore the six major psychological schools of thought.
Structuralism
Structuralism was the very first psychological school of thought that focus on studying mental processes by dissecting them into important components.
According to Valentinasolci.medium.com, Wilhelm Wundt, the founder of this school of thought was widely recognized for his work and received most of the credits.
Wundt‘s student Edward B. Titchener is also recognized as one of the major structuralist thinkers.
The first psychological school of thought focuses on examining the structure of the human mind. It aims to understand how the mind is structured to function and how individuals adapt to new beliefs.
Being the first school of thought, structuralism evaluates human perspective and different opinions. This school of thought has made several psychologists eager to examine and understand the basic components of the conscious mind.
Wilhelm Maximillian Wundt was a psychologist who uniquely approached this concept. His approach to understanding this goal was to utilize the tool of introspection.
Introspection involves trying to figure out our internal experiences individually and reflecting on our consciousness.
Many critics had a different opinion about using introspection as a tool, despite this school of thinking improving psychology at the time. it’s rare for two individuals to perceive the same thing in the same manner.
Functionalism
American psychologist and philosopher William James is a scholar of functionalism, one of the schools of thought in psychology. William James was a philosopher who had a different opinion regarding function and structure.
The American scholar and philosopher believed in studying how the human functions rather than studying the structure.
This school of thought describe how the mind functions as well as the mental processes promoting adaptation.
Functionalists see the human mind as a computer and for them to understand how the mind works, they look at it as software. The human mind is complex and to understand its psychological function, it needs to be examined uniquely.
Functionalists were determined to find out why some mental processes usually occur. This led to a thorough study of adaptation, motivation, children, and animals.
Functionalists carried out their experiments by using introspection as a tool.
Also Read: 10 Psychology Scholarships For International Students in Canada 2023
Behaviourism
During the mid-20th century, behaviourism emerged as the dominant school of thought, surpassing functionalism and structuralism.
Behaviourism is one of the schools of thought in psychology that expanded during the 1950s. It’s a school of thought that focuses on studying the human mind by the examination of stimuli and responses.
Behaviourism simply describes the study of observable behaviour. American psychologist John B. Watson advanced psychology by establishing behaviourism.
Contributing to Watson’s works, fellow American psychologist B.F. Skinner was one of the behaviourists that accepted the idea of human behaviour to be examined.
Skinner promoted the idea of evaluating human behaviour through reinforcement and punishment and environmental causes, instead of internal factors.
Watson was determined to study the human mind closely and thoroughly advanced psychology to become a more scientific field. Critics of this school of thought however had a different opinion.
They believed that certain mental influences occur innately, hence studying objective behaviour is relevant to understanding the human mind hectically.
Gestalt psychology
Gestalt psychologists believed that the human mind functions in a unique way by absorbing and interpreting information through different rules, laws, or organizing principles.
These are psychologists who believed in studying the human mind and experience collectively instead of dissecting it into smaller components. These psychologists are known for their popular saying “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.
Some examples of Gestalt psychologists include Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Köhler.
Gestalt psychologists are convinced that it’s important you look at the whole experience, instead of breaking it down into basic components. Optical illusion is a phenomenon and understanding its effect on the human mind is a typical example of gestalt thinking.
Cognitive Psychology
We are still on the subject of psychology schools of thought. Let’s explore cognitive psychology and all there is.
So, what is cognitive psychology?
It’s a branch of psychology concerned with studying the human mental processes including how people remember, perceive, learn, and think.
This branch of psychology is related to other disciplines such as neuroscience, linguistics, and philosophy as it’s a part of a wider subject of cognitive science.
Cognitive psychology as a school of thought comprises several theories. An influential theory from this school of thought was Jean Piaget’s thesis on the “phased of cognitive development”.
It states that children usually go through multiple progressive stages of intellectual development.
Also Read: 15 Best Schools In Florida For Psychology 2023
Humanistic Psychology
Humanistic psychology emerged as a school of thought as a response to behaviourism and psychoanalysis. It differs from other schools of thought in psychology as it mainly focuses on assisting individuals to improve their free will, self-actualization, and personal growth.
American psychologists Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow are the two major humanist thinkers.
Carl Rogers was one of the humanist psychologists who did not agree with the idea that our actions are been controlled by certain forces. Abraham Maslow on the other hand is famous for developing his “Hierarchy of Needs” which provides more insight into this approach.
This school of thought was a simple reaction to disagreeing with psychoanalysis and behaviourism. Humanistic psychology led to a particular form of therapy aimed at assisting individuals to reach their full potential.
Psychoanalysis
The psychoanalytic theory describes human behaviour by evaluating the subconscious mind.
Sigmund Freud believes that the instinct to seek pleasure, which the Austrian neurologist describes as sexual in nature, is at the roots of human development.
Freud believes that development occurs in various stages. Even children discover this pleasure during early development stages. A typical example is the act of feeding at the mother’s breast.
The Austrian neurologist also believed that the human mind comprises three different elements, which include the ego, the ad, and the superego.
Sigmund Freud’s daughter Anna Freud was also a psychoanalyst recognized as one of the major psychodynamic thinkers. Anna Freud, Erik Erikson, and Carl Jung are among the major psychodynamic thinkers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are frequently asked questions about schools of thought in psychology.
What is a school of thought?
Psychology is the study of the human mind and a school of thought describes a group of individuals who share a common ideology, philosophy, and intellect.
What is the meaning of school of thought?
Also Read: Psychologist vs Psychiatrist: What’s the Difference?
A school of thought describes a group of individuals who share a common ideology, intellect, and philosophy.
What was the first school of thought in psychology?
There are several schools of thought but the earliest were structuralism and functionalism. The former was the first school of thought in psychology.
What are the six major schools of thought in psychology?
The six major schools of thought in psychology are structuralism, behaviourism, functionalism, cognitive psychology, Gestalt psychology, and psychoanalysis.
What is functionalism as a school of thought in psychology?
American psychologist and philosopher William James is a scholar of functionalism, one of the schools of thought in psychology. William James was a philosopher who had a different opinion regarding function and structure.
Conclusion
Structuralism and functionalism are the early schools of thought in Psychology. The term psychology evaluates how the human mind is structured through its various school of thought.
Psychology’s modern schools, behaviourism and cognitive psychology are both influential, while humanistic psychology was developed as a response to behaviourism and psychoanalysis.
Recommendations
- 10 Best Online Degrees in Early Childhood Education with Certificate
- 11 Free Doctorate Degree In Theology Online
- List of the Most Accurate Bible Translations
- Free Food Hygiene Courses Online UK
- 35 Deep Questions About God that will Build your Faith
References
- https://valentinasolci.medium.com/breakdown-on-the-different-psychological-schools-of-thought-270c769752e3
- https://www.brooklyn.k12.oh.us/userfiles/69/Classes/795/Schools%20of%20Thought.pdf
- https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/psychology/scientific-foundations-of-psychology/schools-of-thought/
- https://bscholarly.com/major-schools-of-thought-in-psychology/
- https://science.blurtit.com/87923/what-are-the-major-schools-of-thought-in-psychology?utm_content=expand_article
- https://classroom.synonym.com/six-major-schools-thought-psychology-2579.html
Leave a Reply