The Evolution of Psychology Waves of Psychology

Wave 1: Structuralism Introspection Wundt Titchener Wundt wanted to analyze the adult mind in terms of the simplest definable components; the basic structures. To do this psychologists used introspection– self-reports of sensations, view, feelings, emotions, etc. They would ask “What are you experiencing when you eat an apple?’’ Wundt Titchener Introspection

Wave 2: Functionalism Gave Psychology its first definition as James Functionalism arose in the late 19th century as an alternative to structuralism. It built on structuralism’s concern for anatomy of the mind and led to greater concern over the functions of the mind. Functionalism focused more on how the mind adapts to the environment, helping to understand its functions. Gave Psychology its first definition as “the science of mental life” or “the science of consciousness” James Darwin

Wave 3: Gestalt The whole is greater than the sum of its parts! Led by Max Wertheimer, focused not on how we feel, but on how we experience the world. The whole of an experience can be more than the sum of its parts- this quote is Gestalt in a nutshell Do you see the old lady or the young lady? When we see an object, we perceive its entirety before we see the individual parts. We see the whole as more than the sum of the parts, and even when the parts are entirely separate entities, we’ll look to group them as some whole.

Wave 4: Psychoanalysis Freudian Psychology: unconscious and early childhood experiences Started with Sigmund Freud who revolutionized psychology with psychoanalytic theory Freud believed he discovered the unconscious mind- the part which we do not have conscious control that determines, in part, how we think and behave. Freud believed that people could be cured by making conscious their unconscious thoughts and motivations, thus gaining insight. The aim of psychoanalysis therapy is to release repressed emotions and experiences, i.e. make the unconscious conscious. We push it down and protect ourselves from our real feeling by using defense mechanisms (which we will discuss later). Psychoanalysis used free association to bring those unconscious thoughts to our conscious mind.

Wave 5: Behaviorism Psychology defined as “the scientific study of observable behavior” "Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select--doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors.  –John B. Watson John Watson, Ivan Pavlov, B.F. Skinner– major paradigm from 20s-50s Believed that for psychology to be considered a science, must limit itself to observable behavior Not feelings, mental processes, or consciousness Behaviors believed that all behavior is learnt from the environment, thus people have no free will– a person’s environment determines his behavior. Very popular during the conservative 1950’s when social appearance mattered more than self expression.

Describe- One of the first goals of psychology is simply to describe behavior. Through describing the behavior of humans and other animals, we are better able to understand it and gain a better perspective on what is considered normal and abnormal.  Explain-Why do people do the things they do? What factors contribute to development, personality, social behavior, and mental health problems? Predict- another primary goal of psychology is to make predictions about how we think and act. Once we understand more about what happens and why it happens, we can use that information to make predictions about when, why, and how it might happen again in the future. Successfully predicting behavior is also one of the best ways to know if we understand the underlying causes of our actions. Prediction can also allow psychologists to make guesses about human behavior without necessarily understanding the mechanisms underlying the phenomena. For example, if researchers notice that scores on a particular aptitude test can be used to predict high school dropout rates, that information can then be used to estimate how many students in a particular group might drop out of school each year. Change- Finally, and perhaps most importantly, psychology strives to change, influence, or control behavior to make constructive and lasting changes in people's lives. In our previous example, researchers might take what they know about the link between scores on an aptitude test and dropout rates and use the information to develop programs designed to help students stay in school. From treating mental illness to enhancing human well-being, changing human behavior is a huge focus of psychology.