Objective 2: Identify the major theoretical and professional

perspectives in psychology and their basic assumptions.

There are four major schools of thought in psychology: Structuralism, Functionalism,
Behaviorism, and Humanistic Psychology.
Structuralism: The study of the elements of psychology. Structuralism was developed
by Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchner. It seeks to analyze the adult mind, from birth to
present. The technique of introspection (the examination or observation of one's own
mental and emotional processes) was developed also. It required people to describe
their thoughts and perspectives when they were shown an object. This was very
unreliable because it required smart and verbal people. Not not everyone perceives
objects the same way.
Functionalism: Focuses on the purpose of consciousness and thought. Functionalism
was developed from structuralism. Many early psychologist looked at functionalism and
structuralism to be relatively the same. In functionalism, psychologists concluded that
peoples behaviors developed because of evolution. It was meant to be because it
helped people from the past to survive.
Behaviorism: The study of observable behavior. Behaviorism was created by John B.
Watson and it forever changed Psychology. Mr. Watsons main belief with behaviorism
was that behaviors can be measured, trained, and changed. He also believed that in
order to make an accurate hypothesis, you needed to see solid observations and how
people reacted to certain situations.
Humanistic Psychology: Emphasizes the study of the person as a whole. Humanistic
psychologists look at human behavior, not only through their eyes, but also through the
eyes of the person doing the behavior. Humanistic psychologists believe a persons
behavior has something to do with what is in their inner feelings and self concept. They
also believe that people have free will and are basically good and want to make
themselves and the world a better place. The humanistic approach emphasizes the
personal worth of the individual.
Artifacts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8ILvVt8Iv4
In the video above, Jack gets to ride a 4-wheeler as a reward for his potty training. The
video is an example of behaviorism. In behaviorism, there is positive reinforcement,
which is rewarding people for the good things they do. Because Jack was able to
complete his potty training, he got to ride the 4-wheeler.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn5mAQuhCdQ
This video is also part of behaviorism, but it is negative reinforcement. Because the man
in the video got a fine for speeding he probably doesnt want to do it again. The
negative consequence of his speeding causes him to obey the speed limit because he
does not want to get a ticket again.