Psychology Lecture 3 PDF

Lecture (3) Psychology Dr.Azza Khairy Psychology schools  When psychology first emerged as a science separate from biology and philosophy, the debate over how to describe and explain the human mind and behavior began. The differen...

Lecture (3) Psychology Dr.Azza Khairy Psychology schools  When psychology first emerged as a science separate from biology and philosophy, the debate over how to describe and explain the human mind and behavior began. The different schools of psychology represent the major theories within psychology The Structuralism School of Thought  First school created in a Germany lab by: Wilhelm Wundt. Focused on breaking down mental processes into basic components (elements).  Structuralism is widely regarded as the first school of thought in psychology. This outlook focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components. Major thinkers associated with structuralism include Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener. [email protected] The Functionalist School of Thought  Heavily influenced by William James. Concerned with the adaptive purpose or function of mind and behavior.  Instead of focusing on the mental processes themselves, functionalist thinkers were interested in the role that these processes play.  In a functionalist approach, for example, instead of trying to understand the underlying processes that cause mental states, the focus would be on understanding the function that those states serve. Gaining a better understanding of the purpose would allow psychologists to better understand how the mind allows people to respond and adapt to their environments.  The functionalist school was interested in the purpose of thoughts and behaviors, whereas structuralism was concerned with the elements that make up consciousness. While functionalism largely disappeared as a school of thought, its influence persisted in applied psychology, behaviorism, and educational psychology. [email protected]   The Gestalt School of Thought  Gestalt psychology was a school of psychology based upon the idea that people experience things as unified wholes. This approach to psychology began in Germany and Austria during the late 19th century in response to the molecular approach of structuralism.  Some thinkers associated with the Gestalt school of thought included Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka.  Instead of breaking down thoughts and behavior to their smallest elements, the gestalt psychologists believed that you must look at the whole of experience. According to Gestalt thinkers, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, a philosophy known as holism.  The Behaviorist School of Thought  Behaviorism suggests that all behavior can be explained by environmental causes rather than by internal forces. Behaviorism is focused on observable behavior. Examples of behavioral theories that emerged during this time include:  Classical conditioning: This is a type of learning that involves associating a previously neutral stimulus with a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response. [email protected]  For example, pairing the sound of a bell with the presentation of food. After an association is formed, the previously neutral stimulus will produce the same response as the natural stimulus.  Operant conditioning: This type of learning involves using rewards and punishments to create an association between the behavior and the consequences of that behavior. The Psychoanalytic School of Thought  Psychoanalysis is a school of psychology founded by Sigmund Freud. This school of thought emphasized the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior. Other major psychoanalytic thinkers included Anna Freud and Otto Rank and neo-Freudians such as Erik Erikson, Alfred Adler, and Karen Horney.  Freud believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: the id, ego, and superego.  The id consists of primal urges.  The ego is the component of personality charged with dealing with reality.  The superego is the part of the personality that holds all the ideals and values we internalize from our parents and culture. [email protected]   Freud believed that the interaction of these three elements was what led to all of the complex human behaviors. [email protected]