Video:Basics of Structuralism and Functionalism
with Dr. Jean LeahyStructuralism and functionalism are two related schools of thought on studying a person's mental state. This psychology video from About.com will explain the differences between structuralism and functionalism.See Transcript
Transcript:Basics of Structuralism and Functionalism
Hello, my name is Dr. Jean Leahy. I'm a clinical psychologist in private practice in Chicago, and I'm here today with About.com. Today we're going to talk about the basics of structuralism and functionalism in psychology.
Founder of Structuralism
William Wundt was a German physician, philosopher, and professor, and the father of experimental psychology. He founded the first psychology lab, and he is noted for separating psychology from the other sciences.
Wundt is the father of structuralism, and he breaks down mental processes into their most basic parts. Wundt used introspection as a tool to research his subjects. Wundt's methods were criticized because it was felt that introspection was too subjective for research. Other scientists found his research unreliable because internal behaviors cannot be measured.
Growth of Functionalism
Functionalism grew out of structuralism as another way to understand human behavior. Functionalism was influenced by William James and Charles Darwin. Instead of focusing on consciousness, Functionalists focused on measured behavior. Functionalists understood mental states only through their behavioral outputs.
Structuralism and functionalism were important because they were some of the first ways to understand human behavior. To learn more about structuralism and functionalism, visit us on the web at About.com.