Schools of Psychology & Founders

Psychology

The scientific study of behavior and mental processes

Structuralism: Wilhelm Wundt

Interested in the basic elements of the human experience

Introspection: Reporting your thoughts in a controlled situation

My psychology teacher is

weird

Functionalism: William James

Actions of conscious mind & goals of behavior

Functionalists study how animals adapt to their environments

Father of U.S. psychology

Sir Francis GaltonCoined the principle of nature vs. nurture

Examines abilities people are born with

Psychoanalytic Psychology: Sigmund FreudUnconscious motivations/ conflicts are responsible for most human behavior

Behavioralists:

Study how organisms learn or modify their behavior based on their response to events in the environment.

Ivan Pavlov:

Famous for his experiments on dogs.

John Watson

Known for his experiment on baby Albert.

B.F. Skinner: introduced the concept of reinforcement

Reinforcement: A response to a behavior that increases the likelihood of it being repeated

Humanists: Maslow & Rogers

Believe that each person has freedom in directing his or her future and achieving personal growth

People are unique

Abraham Maslow

Became known for his hierarchy of needs.

Carl Rogers

Person-centered therapy

Cognitive Psychology: Piaget

Focus on how the brain processes, stores and uses info. and how that influences people’s thinking

Biological Psychology

Psychobiologists: Study how physical and chemical changes in our bodies influence our behavior.

Gestalt Psychology: Kohler & Koffka

Studied how sensations are assembled into parts

Gestalt means “whole pattern”

Sociocultural Psychology

Studies the influence of cultural and ethnic similarities and differences on behavior and social functioning