The School of
Thoughts in Psychology
Prepared By: Anoosha Alina
F2023376037
Introduction Psychology has evolved through various schools of thought, each
providing unique perspectives on human behavior and mental processes. These schools
emerged as attempts to explain the complexities of the human mind. However, due to
limitations, some were rejected or replaced by newer approaches.
The following table will help us understand which school of thought was first introduced,
who was responsible for its development. Additionally, it will outline the next school of
thought that emerged.
School of Thought
Developer(s)
Core Idea
Structuralism
Wilhelm Wundt, Edward
Titchener
Focused on breaking down
mental processes
Functionalism
William James, Edward
Titchener
Focused on the purpose of
behavior
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud, Anna
Freud, Otto Rank
Focused on unconscious
desires
Behaviorism
John B. Watson, B.F.
Skinner, Ivan Pavlov
Focused on observable
behavior
Gestalt Psychology
Max Wertheimer,
Wolfgang Köhler, Kurt
Koffka
Emphasized holistic
perception
Humanism
Carl Rogers, Abraham
Maslow
Focused on free will and
personal growth
Limitations of Psychological Schools of Thought
1. Structuralism (Wilhelm Wundt, Edward Titchener)
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Relied heavily on introspection, which was highly subjective.
No universal method to verify results scientifically.
Ignored the practical applications of psychology in real life.
Failed to account for individual differences in perception and cognition.
Led to Functionalism, which focused on the purpose of mental processes rather than their
structure.
2. Functionalism (William James, Edward Titchener)
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Too broad and unsystematic, lacking a structured methodology.
Did not explain how mental processes operate—just their functions.
Overlapped with other psychological perspectives, making it less distinct.
Difficult to test experimentally due to its focus on mental adaptability.
Shifted focus toward Behaviorism and Psychoanalysis, which provided systematic
approaches to understanding behavior and the unconscious mind
3. Psychoanalysis (Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud, Otto Rank)
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Overemphasized unconscious desires and childhood experiences.
Lacked empirical evidence, making it unscientific.
Concepts like the id, ego, and superego were difficult to measure objectively.
Many Freudian theories (e.g., Oedipus complex, psychosexual stages) are
controversial and outdated.
Replaced by Behaviorism (focusing on observable behavior) and later influenced
Cognitive Psychology, which studied thoughts scientifically.
4. Behaviorism (John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner, Ivan Pavlov)
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Ignored mental processes such as thoughts, emotions, and motivation.
Overemphasized the role of external environment while neglecting biological
influences.
Limited in explaining complex behaviors (e.g., creativity, problem-solving).
Did not consider innate behaviors or cognitive influences.
Expanded to cognitive revolution which brought back the study of mental functions,
leading to Cognitive Psychology.
5. Gestalt Psychology (Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, Kurt Koffka)
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Focused mainly on perception and visual processing, limiting its scope.
Lacked practical applications beyond cognitive psychology.
Did not provide a detailed explanation of why people perceive things differently.
Largely absorbed into modern cognitive psychology, making it less distinct.
Expanded into Cognitive Psychology, which studies perception, memory, and problemsolving more comprehensively.
6. Humanistic Psychology (Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow)
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Too idealistic, assuming all humans strive for growth and self-actualization.
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Lacked scientific rigor and empirical testing.
Difficult to measure concepts like self-actualization and personal growth.
Did not explain negative behaviors or mental illnesses effectively.
Influenced Positive Psychology, which focuses on scientific research on well-being and
happiness.
School Of Thoughts in Psychology
Structuralismwas the first
formal school of psychology,
Structuralism
focusing on breaking down
mental processes into basic
elements through introspection.
Functionalism emerged as a
Functionalism
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis arose by
emphasizing unconscious
motivations and early
experiences, a concept not
explored by Functionalism .
Behaviorism was criticized for
ignoring thoughts and emotions.
Psychoanalysis was criticized for
focusing too much on
unconscious conflicts and past
traumas. Humanism developed
as a reaction to both, focusing on
self-growth, free will, and human
potential rather than just
unconscious drives or conditioned
responses.
reaction, shifting focus from
"what the mind is made of" to
"what the mind does" and its role
in adapting to environments.
Behaviorism
Behaviorism rejected
introspection and focused
only on observable
behaviors, arguing that
external conditioning
shapes human actions.
Humanistic
Psychology
Gestalt
Psychology
Gestalt Psychology emerged as a
response to Structuralism but took
a different path than Behaviorism
or Psychoanalysis. Gestalt
Psychology emphasized
perception as a whole, stating that
“the whole is greater than the sum
of its parts. ”
Cognitive
Psychology
Conclusion Psychology has continuously evolved, with each school of thought
The Cognitive Revolution
(1950s-60s) challenged
Behaviorism by reintroducing the
study of thoughts, memory, and
problem-solving. Influenced by
Gestalt principles (how the mind
organizes information) and
research on information
processing, Cognitive Psychology
(Neisser, Piaget) became
dominant.
contributing to a deeper understanding of human behavior. Early perspectives laid the
zgroundwork, but their limitations led to new approaches that refined and expanded
psychological research. Modern psychology integrates insights from multiple perspectives,
ensuring a more comprehensive and practical application in various fields.