Foundations of Psychology Essay

psychological science is the process of understanding bingles mental processes such as how and why unity thinks, feels, and be sires the way they do. Psychology is the process by which the scientific rule is used to better understand and test these processes (Allport, 1985). Psychology was established as a means to blends these ii differing school days of thought into one. Psychology quickly disjunct into different schools of thought as a means to explain the gentleman top dog and its styles. In this paper we will discuss in much depth about a few of them such as structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and secular humanism (Allport, 1985). Wilhelm Wundt is thought to be one of psychologies founding fathers. He was a open up using laboratory research as a way to stake up his theories of the understanding. One of Wundts students Edward Titchener used Wundts theory of self-contemplation as his basis of his new school of thought c each(prenominal)ed stru cturalism.Structuralism is the think over of the contents of the mind (Britannica, 2001). Just like his predecessor Titchener believed that the scientific regularity was the only means to the science of the mind. Structuralism was only one of two schools that dominated psychological science in its early years. The other was functionalism. Functionalism was the product of one Harvard graduate named William James. James believed structuralism was a great start, however matt-up the mind still needed further explaining and hence functionalism was born. Where structuralism pore its efforts on the mental processes themselves, functionalist conserved their efforts on the role those processes play. Functionalism is the study of how ones psychological processes helps one adapt to their environment (Britannica, 2001). Psychoanalysis was founded by Sigmund Freud. Freud believed that the unconscious mind influenced behavior. Freud believed that the human mind was comprised of three elements the id, the ego, and the super ego. The id is composed of the primal urges, piece of musicthe ego is the component of personality charged with dealing with reality. The superego is the part of personality that holds all of the ideals and values we internalize from our parents and culture. Freud believed that the interaction of these three elements was what led to all of the complex human behaviors (Sheehy, & Forsythe, 2013).Freuds school of thought has not deceased without controversy, however Freuds school of thought has influenced other of psychologys greats such as Anna Freud, Carl Jung, and Erik Erikson (Psychology, 2005). Behaviorism formed as a chemical reaction to the theories of John B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, and B. F. skinner. Behaviorism took off and became the dominant school of thought during the 1950s. Behaviorists rivet their efforts of observable behavior. Behaviorist believe that all behavior can be explained by ones environment rather than by ones internal forces (Lee, 2005). Classical condition was invented by Ivan Pavlov. He believed that classical conditioning was the learning process that occurs by means of crossties between ones environmental stimulus and the naturally occurring stimulus. Operant conditioning was the thoughts of B. F. Skinner. Skinner believed that learning can occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. Skinner believed that through operant conditioning, an association is made between a behavior and a consequence for that behavior (Lee, 2005).Humanism is the product of Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. Humanism focused on an individuals free will, self-actualization, and personal growth (Lee, 2005). While early schools of thought were generally centered on abnormal human behavior, humanistic psychology differed intimately in its emphasis on helping good deal achieve and meet their potential (Lee, 2005). Humanistic psychology remains quite popular at present and has had a major influence on other areas of psychology including unconditional psychology. This particular branch of psychology is centered on helping people living happier, more fulfilling lives (Jimerson, 2007). Understanding a person requires special concern to not only ones biology, their psychological experience, and their social context. Psychology was established as a science in order to differentiate from biology and the philosophy of thought. In this paper we discussed in more depth about conscionable a few of them such as structuralism, functionalism, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanism and how they differ from one another. Although they each may have a different outlook, they all have the same goal to better understand onesmind and ones behavior.ReferencesAllport, G. W (1985). The historical background of social psychology. In Lindzey, G Aronson, E. The Handbook of Social Psychology. New York McGraw Hill. p.5 Evolutionary Psychology Theoretical Foundations. Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science. Hoboken Wile y, 2005. Credo Reference. 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2013. Retrieved 2014-10-26. Retrieved from http//www.credoreference.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ gateway/wileycs/evolutionary_psychology_theoretical_foundations. Functionalism. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011. Retrieved 2014-10-26. Retrieved from http//www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/222123/functionalism Jimerson, S. R., Oakland, T. D., & Farrell, P. T. (Eds.). (2007). The handbook of international school psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications, Inc. Retrieved 2014-10-26. 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