1. EARLY SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

2. Wilhelm Wundt First psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany Conducted first psychology experiment by measuring the atoms of the mind Measured time lag between hearing a ball hit a platform and pressing a telegraphic key People took longer when asked to press the key when they were aware of perceiving the sound rather than when asked when they heard the sound

3. Structuralism Edward Bradford Titchener (Wundt’s student) Used introspection (looking inward) to search for the mind’s structural elements Sought to identify what the mind and consciousness were Asked people to report elements of their experiences (tasting a lemon) – What were their sensations? What were their images? How did they relate to one another? Limitations: people needed to be very smart; results varied from person to person

4. Functionalism William James Focuses on how our mental and behavioral processes function, how they enable us to adapt, survive and flourish Sought to identify how the mind and consciousness worked Consciousness enables us to consider our past, adjust to our present and plan our future

5. Behaviorism John B. Watson & B. F. Skinner Diminished introspection and defined psychology as the science of observable behavior Studied how reinforcement and punishment shape behavior Same views as Aristotle and Locke

6. Gestalt Psychology Wolfgang Kohler, Kurt Koffka, Max Wertheimer Emphasized our tendency to integrate pieces of information into meaningful wholes The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – Imagine how many different elements that make up the human body are worth. These elements may be valuable but their combined value making up the human body is more valuable than any part could be on its own

7. Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud Theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious motives and conflicts Unacceptable passions and thoughts that we block because they are too painful are trapped in our unconscious These feelings have powerful influence on us