Schools of Psychology (1)

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Schools of Psychology

By

Dr. Navin Kumar



Psychology: The Early Days

Curiosity about psychology has likely beenaround as long as humanity. However, thescientific study of psychology began onlyabout 100 years ago.

Roots in philosophy and physiology Philosophy: the use of logic and speculation

to understand the nature of reality,experience, and values

Renes Descartes: 17th century Frenchphilosopher, focused on distinctionbetween mind and body

Physiology: the study of the biologicalworkings of the body, including the brain



The Dawn of Psychology

Early psychologists were more interested inunderstanding perception, memory, andproblem-solving rather than behavior.

Wilhelm Wundt: set up the first psychologylaboratory in Leipzig, Germany (1879)

st ruc t urali sm: the school of psychology thatsought to identify the basic elements of experience and to describe the rules andcircumstances under which these elementscombine to form mental structures the first formal movement in psychology



Structuralism

int rospec t ion: the primaryresearch tool of structuralists

means ³looking within´

thinking about our mental processes, andthen reporting them

But not every mentalprocess is available toeveryone... (Kulpe, 1913)

Observations based onintrospection could not bereplicated; theoriescollapsed.



From Structuralism to Functionalism

The difficulties faced by structuralists led tothe rise of f unc t ionali sm

F unc t ionali sm: the school of psychology thatsought to understand the ways that the mind

helps individuals function, or adapt to theworld structuralism: ³the psychology of the i s´

What are the mental processes? How do they operate?

functionalism: ³the psychology of the i s-f or ́ Why do humans think, feel, and behave like they do?



Functionalism

driven by desire toapply psychologicalprinciples,

particularly ineducation

strongly influencedby Darwin (survivalof the fittest;

adaptations) laid groundwork for

psychologicalresearch on animals



Functionalism

Your walking on a sidewalk when

suddenly a car comes hurtling

towards you out of control.

Are you afraid?

Why?

Do you see the car and mentally become afraid leadingto your heart racing, hands sweating and an impulseto run?

Or«



Functionalism

«continued

Do you first become physically afraidwith heart racing, hands sweatingwhich leads into you becomingmentally afraid?

This concept of environment versuscognition is the cornerstone of theFunctionalist Approach.



Functionalism

William James focused on thefunctions of mind and behavior.

Functionalism

which was the study of the functionrather than the structure of consciousness, was interested

in how our minds adapt to our changing environment



Behaviorism

the school of psychology that focuses on how a specificstimulus (object, person, or event) evokes a specificresponse (behavior in reaction to the stimulus)

heavy emphasis on observable behavior

much easier to study than concepts such asmotivation, emotion, intelligence, etc.

Some behaviorists (B.F. Skinner) even argued thatmental processes don¶t exist!

ex. saying that you ³like´ dogs refers to an

unobservable mental process Instead, you approach dogs, pet them, protect them,

etc. because these responses have becomeassociated with the stimulus ³dog´

cut out the middle man of mental processes...



Behaviorism

Using the principles of r einf orc ement andpuni shment , behaviorists conducted a greatdeal of formative research on learning and

associations.

Lasting impact on the field of psychology, butthe pendulum has swung back from suchextreme perspectives... Today, psychologists acknowledge the role of

behaviorist principles in determining our behavior,but also focus on the mental processes that drivesuch behaviors.



Gestalt Psychology

³gestalt´ = German for ³whole´

Gestalt psychology: an approach to understandingmental processes that focuses on the idea that thewhole is more than the sum of its parts



Gestalt Psychology

Our brains organize incoming information into

perc ept ual uni ts (a whole formed from individualparts)

pragnanz : German for ³conciseness´ We tend to order our experience in a manner that is regular,

orderly, symmetric, and simple.



Gestalt

What do you see here?



Gestalt psychology: emergence



Psychodynamic Theory

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) Viennese physician

specializing in neurology Psychodynamic theory:

a theory of howthoughts and feelingsaffect behavior; refers

to the push-and-pullinteraction amongconscious andunconscious forces




based on the notion that the mind is not aunitary construct Instead, Freud believed that there are separate

components of the mind, some of which areunconscious. outside conscious awareness and not able to be brought

to consciousness by will

Freud believed that many of our unconscious

urges are sexual and/or aggressive in nature. Because these urges are often unacceptable at aconscious level, we banish them to our unconscious.




The ideas of conscious and unconsciouspsychology led to the development of psyc hodynamic theory. Greek: psyc he (³mind´) and dynamo (³power´)

Behavior is the product of the push-and-pullinteraction between conscious andunconscious forces. ex. People who wash their hands compulsively

might be trying to wash away the ³dirt´ of their unconscious desires.



The Psychodynamic Approach

Key features (1):

Mind has 3 parts: conscious, unconscious and preconscious

conscious: thoughts and perceptions

preconscious: available to consciousness, e.g. memories

and stored knowledge

unconscious: wishes and desires formed in childhood,biological urges. Determines most of behaviour

Personality has 3 components - id, ego & superego

id: unconscious, urges needing instant gratification ego: develops in childhood, rational. Chooses between id

and external demands

superego: conscience, places restrictions on behaviour




Key features (2):

� Freud¶s µmental

iceberg¶ view of the mind




Key features (3):

Psychosexual stages of development

Develop through stages in childhood

Oral (0±18 months)

Anal (18 months±3 years)

Phallic (3±6 years)

Latent (6 yrs±puberty)

Genital (puberty onwards)

At each stage, libido is focused on different part of body

Failure to progress (fixating) causes neuroses




Key features (4):

Ego mediates conflict between id, ego, superego

defence mechanisms include repression,displacement, denial, reaction formation

repression pushes stuff into unconscious, but itexerts influence from there, may cause problems

Cure neuroses by bringing material from unconscious

to conscious free association

dream analysis




Evaluation:

Significant impact:

� theories of personality, motivation, development

� therapeutic techniques in clinical and counselling psychology

� captured the popular imagination, providing an accessibleframework for everyday understanding

Unscientific?

methodologically poor untestable (e.g. concept of denial)

Limited impact on scientific psychology



Humanistic Psychology

School of psychology that emphasizesnonverbal experiences and altered states of consciousness as a means of realizing one¶s

full human potential Importance of love, belonging, human

potential, and self-esteem.

Abraham Maslow

Not mainstream, more a cultural and spiritualmovement.



Definition

Human capacity for choice and growth.

Humans have free will

Not fated to behave in specific ways. Subjective experience of the world--how

humans experience things, why theyexperience things, etc.



Humanistic Psychology

Emphasizes the study of the wholeperson.

Behavior is determined by perception of world around him.

Not a product of their environment

Internally directed an motivated to fulfilltheir potential.



According to humanistic

psychologists, we are motivated notmerely to survive, but to become

better and better.

T hi s proc ess i s call ed sel f -ac t ualizat ion.



Origins

Middle ages

Began in the 15th century

Modern humanistic psychologyemerged in the mid-1950¶s.



Evolution

Humanistic psychology emerged in themid-1950¶s and complemented

behaviorism and psychoanalysis with itsfocus on the individual as a wholeperson.

Continued to grow in the second half of

the 20th century



THANK YOUTHANK YOU

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Schools of Psychology (1)