Wize University Psychology Textbook > History of Psychology
Structuralism & Functionalism
Popular Courses
MCAT
General Course
Psychology
University Study Guides
PSYC 100A
Queen's University
PSYCH 1000
Western University
PSYCH 1X03
McMaster University
PSYCH 104
University of Alberta
PSYCH 1002
Western University
PSYC 1000
University of Guelph
Psychology
University Study Guides
PSYC 100
McGill University
PSY100H1
University of Toronto
PSYC 101
University of British Columbia
PSYC 1010
York University
PSYC 102
University of British Columbia
PSYC 100B
Queen's University
PSYC 100A
University of Victoria
PSYC 200
Concordia University
PSYC 1004
Virginia Tech
PSYCH 100
Pennsylvania State University
PSC 001
University of California - Davis
0:00 / 0:00
Structuralism & Functionalism
Two of the earliest perspectives in psychology were structuralism and functionalism. Both were concerned only with conscious experience - things that we are (or can be made) aware of.
Structuralism
Structuralists were influenced by chemistry's hunt for basic elements. They wanted to identify the basic building blocks of conscious experience.
Wundt and Titchener founded structuralism. They believed that human experience could best be understood by understanding the individual components that make up conscious experience.
Introspection - the most commonly used research method for structuralists. Individuals were trained to concentrate on and report their conscious experiences in response to external stimuli
Functionalism
Functionalists were influenced more by the concept of evolution. They wanted to identify the reasons for behaviours and mental processes
James developed functionalism. He believed that we should focus on understanding mental processes and behaviours in terms of their purposes or functions.
Functionalists ask “why” questions to investigate how mental processes operate and relate to behaviour, and how particular mental processes and behaviours allow organisms to adapt to their environment.
Because of the subjectivity associated with introspection, many functionalists chose to focus their research entirely on observable behaviour.
Practice: Structuralism & Functionalism
Which early school of psychology would ask questions like "why do we have specific taste receptors for sweet foods?" and "what is the purpose of forming close social bonds?"