Theoretical
Perspectives in
Psychology
Structuralism
● Wundt & Titchener
● Basic Premise: Analyze the
mind into its basic elements
then find ways that these
components work together
in complex forms.
Functionalism
● James
● Basic Premise: How does
the mind allow people to
adapt, live, work, and play
(function) in society.
Gestalt Psychology
Basic Premise: How do people
perceive and experience
objects as a whole. “The sum
is greater than the parts”
Psychoanalytic
● Freud
● Basic Premise: Unconscious
motives and experiences in early
childhood govern personality and
mental disorders.
Behavioral
● Watson, Pavlov, Skinner
● Basic Premise: Only
observable events can be
studied scientifically.
Humanistic
● Maslow, Rogers
● Basic Premise: Humans are
free, rational beings with
the potential and need for
personal growth.
Cognitive
● Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg
● Basic Premise: Human behavior
cannot be fully understood without
examining how people acquire,
store, and process information.
Biological
Basic Premise: An organism’s
functioning can be explained
by the bodily structures and
biochemical processes that
underlie behavior.
Sociocultural
Basic Premise: An individual’s
behavior is the result of the
presence of other individuals,
either as part of a group or as
part of the larger culture.
Evolutionary
Basic Premise: Behavior
evolves to solve adaptive
problems. Natural selection
favors behaviors that enhance
reproductive success.