[1/25] Week I: The History of Psychology

“Psychology lost its soul, then its mind” - Anonymous

The goal of Psychology is to describe, explain, predict and possibly change someone’s
behavior and mental processes.

Old Schools of Psychology

1. Describe
William Bunt:
Structuralism - First school of thought of psychology. To describe what is the
mind, done through the use of introspection. Breaks down conscious
experiences
into objective sensations and structural feelings.
2. Explain
William James:
The stream of consciousness
Functionalism: Explaining why we think the way we think and why we engage in
certain behaviors.
Sigmund Freud: :consciousness, preconsciousness, unconsciousness
The role of the unconscious mind
Psychoanalysis: Id, Ego and Superego are the structures that formulate
personality.
● Id: “I want what I want when I want it
● Ego: The conscious
● Superego: Morals
John Watson and B.F. Skinner:
Behaviorism: A challenge to psychoanalysis. Focus on observable behavior >
mental processes. Identifying a stimulus to provoke a response (which is
measurable).
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow:
Humanism: A more positive view of the human experience
Rogers (self-actualize, conditions of worth) and Maslow (hierarchy of needs)
3. Predict
4. Change

New Schools of Psychology

1. Multiculturalism: Emphasizes the influence of culture on behavior and mental
processes
2. Evolutionary Psychology: Emphasizes Darwin's evolutionary theory of evolution as
an influence on behavior (survival of the fittest)
a. Biological Perspective (Chapter II): Lining the brain, hormones and
heredity with behavior and mental processes
3. Cognitive Psychology: Emphasizes processes such as thinking, language,
attention, memory and intelligence. (How do we process the world around us?)
4. Positive Psychology: Emphasizes people’s strength and successes (positive
outlook is beneficial to your health)
5. Biopsychosocial Theory: Emphasizes biological, psychological, and social factors
as influences on behavior. Uniquely comprehensive.