The history of psychology as a discipline can be traced back to the late 19th century. The earliest organized approaches that established psychology as a scientific discipline are Structuralism and Functionalism. As two key foundational schools of thought in psychology, both Structuralism and Fundamentalism laid the groundwork for the scientific study of the human mind and behavior.
Below is an overview of the contribution of the given schools of thought in the development of modern psychology:
History of Psychology with Reference to Structuralism
Structuralism as a school of thought in psychology focused on breaking down mental processes into their most basic components, e.g. sensations, feelings and images to understand the structure of the mind. It sought to understand how these elements act together in forming complex mental experiences and shaping behaviors.
Pioneered by Wilhelm Wundt (the father of experimental psychology), structuralism is the first school of thought to have contributed to scientific study of psychology. Wundt established the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1879. Wundt’s student, Edward B. Titchener contributed to further development of structuralism as a school of thought in Psychology after introducing it to the United States.
The primary method used as part of structuralism was introspection, a technique that involved trained participants describing their thoughts and sensations in detail as they experienced them.
Although, structuralism played a primary role in establishing psychology as a scientific discipline, it was criticized for being overly subjective and unscientific as introspection lacked reliability and replicability. Its reliance on subjective introspection and inability to address complex mental and behavioral processes ultimately limited its scientific rigor and applicability. This paved the way for more empirical and objective approaches in psychology, such as behaviorism and cognitive psychology.
History of Psychology with Reference to Functionalism
Functionalism as a school of thought in Psychology emerged in the United States (US) in late 19th century as a result of the limitations of structuralism. In contrast to just studying elements of consciousness in structuralism, it emphasizes the practical application of mental processes.
According to functionalism, human mind uses the components of consciousness (sensations, feelings, and images) through different processes resulting in a particular behavior. How the mind processes these inputs (sensation, images, feelings) varies from person to person. This is why behavior also varies from individual to individual. To sum up, functionalism emphasizes the study of function and purpose of mental processes rather than their structure. It sought to understand how the mind adapts to the environment and helps individuals to live a productive life.
As stated above, Functionalism emerged as a reaction to Structuralism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The ideas of Charles Darwin and his theory of natural selection influenced it greatly. Prominent psychologists such as William James and John Dewey, two influential figures in early psychology, emerged as champions of this approach.
Functionalists used a broader range of methods, including naturalistic observation, to study how mental processes influence behavior and enable humans to their surroundings.
Functionalism broadened the scope of psychology to include the study of emotions, habits, and other practical aspects of behavior. It also paved the way for applied psychology and influenced later schools of thought like behaviorism and cognitive psychology.
Conclusion
While neither Structuralism nor Functionalism is prominent in contemporary psychology, their debates and ideas shaped psychology as a scientific discipline and gave rise to new perspectives, such as behaviorism, psychoanalysis, and humanistic psychology.
