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Psychology as a modem discipline has a short history but a long past. It grew out of ancient philosophy. It emerges as a scientific discipline in the following phases:
1. Structuralism:
It is the oldest school/approach to psychology, and it was proposed by William Wundt. Structuralists were interested in analysis of human mind and its structure.
тАв They were interested in conscious experience and wanted to study the building blocks of mind.
тАв They used introspective method to study mental processes and experiences.
2. Functionalism:
It is an approach to psychology, developed by an American Psychologist William James.
тАв They (Functionalists) emphasised on what the mind does and the function of consciousness in adjustment to the environment
тАв According to them consciousness is an on-going stream of mental process, it canтАЩt be broken down into parts.
тАв They also used introspective method to study mental processes and experiences.
3. Behaviourism:
Proposed by John B. Watson who viewed psychology as the science of behaviour and behaviour could be described objectively in terms of stimuli and responses (S-R).
тАв This approach proposed that mentalist concepts such as consciousness, image or mind cannot be measured or studied objectively and scientifically.
тАв Watson emphasised on observable and verifiable response to stimuli.
тАв He was influenced by PavlovтАЩs classical conditioning and was interested in the study of learning.
4. Gestalt Psychology:
This approach was a revolt against structuralism, founded in Germany by Wertheimer, Kohler and Koffka
тАв It focused on perceptual organisation (organisation of what we see) and they also demonstrated the laws of perceptual organisation.
тАв Structuralist wanted to break down perception into elements but Gestalt stated that when we look at the world, our perceptual experience is more than the sum of the components of the perceptions i.e. we give meaning to perception.
тАв For example, when we look at a table we do not see four wooden legs and trapezoid plain surface above it but we recognise it as a table.
5. Psychoanalysis:
This approach was proposed by Dr. Sigmund Freud.
тАв He viewed human behaviour as a dynamic manifestation of unconscious desires and conflicts of which we are not aware at present.
тАв He used psychoanalysis as a system to understand and cure psychological disorders.
6. Humanism:
It was advocated by Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
тАв They emphasised on the free will of human beings i.e. people are free to do whatever they choose to do. Their actions are not predetermined by any force.
тАв They said that human beings strive to grow and unfold their inner potential i.e. what they are capable of doing.
тАв According to them all individuals have innate tendency to self actualise and all human activities are goal directed and worthwhile.
7. Cognitive Perspective/Cortstructivism:
This perspective is a combination of Gestalt approach and structuralist approach.
This approach focuses on cognition i.e. how we know the world through thinking understanding, perceiving, memorising and problem solving etc.
тАв Jean Piaget and Vygotsky are the pioneers of this approach.
тАв Cognitive psychologists view the human mind as an information processing system like a computer.
тАв Mind is considered to receive, process, transform, store and retrieve information.
тАв Mind is dynamic and human beings actively construct their minds as they interact with the social and physical environment and interaction between adults and children.