Early schools of thought: structuralism and functionalism

The Birth of the Early Psychological Schools

Long before the new science of psychology was organized into distinct branches, early schools of thought emerged that attempted to structure its study.

These initial currents, known as structuralism and functionalism, were promoted by pioneering thinkers who laid the groundwork for the future of the discipline.

Each of these perspectives offered a unique and often conflicting approach to how the human mind and behavior should be studied in a laboratory setting.

The debate between these two early schools was pivotal in the development of psychology as an independent science, separate from philosophy and physiology.

Structuralism: In Search of the Structure of the Mind

Structuralism is an early school of thought that was promoted by the influential psychologists Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Titchener.

The primary goal of this school was to to reveal the fundamental structure of the human mind, attempting to break it down into its most basic elements.

To achieve this, they used introspection as their primary research method, a process of self-observation of an individual's internal experiences.

This method focused on people reporting their own internal sensations, as well as the images and feelings they experienced in response to different stimuli.

The goal of structuralism was to use these introspective reports to construct a sort of map of the elements that make up consciousness.

Functionalism: The Mind as a Tool for Adaptation

On the other hand, functionalism was a school of thought promoted by psychologist William James and strongly influenced by Charles Darwin's evolutionary theory.

This school of thought was not so much interested in the structure of the mind, but rather explored how different mental and behavioral processes work in practice.

Its main objective was to understand how these processes allow an organism to adapt, survive, and thrive in their environment effectively.

William James also used introspective examination, but to analyze the dynamic "stream of consciousness" and the functional purpose of different emotions.

For functionalism, the mind was not a collection of static parts, but an active tool that helped humans face life's challenges.

The Legacy of Early Psychological Schools

Although structuralism was eventually abandoned because of the subjectivity of its method, its attempt at rigorous analysis was an important step toward a more scientific psychology.

Functionalism, meanwhile, paved the way for future schools of thought such as behaviorism and evolutionary psychology by focusing on the purpose of behavior.

Both schools, though now considered part of the history of the discipline, were absolutely fundamental in starting the journey of psychology as a formal science.