Schools of thought in psychology

Structuralism: was the first school of psychology and focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components. Researchers tried to understand the basic elements of consciousness using a method known as introspection. Wilhelm Wundt, founder of the first psychology lab, was an advocate of this position and is often considered the founder of structuralism, despite the fact that it was his student, Edward B. Titchener who first coined the term to describe this school of thought.

Major Structuralist Thinkers:

Wilhelm Wundt

Edward B. Titchner

Functionalism: formed as a reaction to the structuralism and was heavily influenced by the work of William James and the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin. Functionalists sought to explain the mental processes in a more systematic and accurate manner. Rather than focusing on the elements of consciousness, functionalists focused on the purpose of consciousness and behavior. Functionalism also emphasized individual differences, which had a profound impact on education.

Major Functionalist Thinkers:

William James

John Dewey

Harvey Carr

John Angell

Behavioral psychology: also known as behaviorism, is a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. According to behaviorism, behavior can be studied in a systematic and observable manner with no consideration of internal mental states.

Major Thinkers in Behaviorism:

Ivan Pavlov

B. F. Skinner

Edward Thorndike

John B. Watson

Clark Hull

Gestalt psychology: is a school of thought that looks at the human mind and behavior as a whole. Originating in the work of Max Wertheimer, Gestalt psychology formed partially as a response to the structuralism of Wlilhem Wundt. The development of this area of psychology was influenced by a number of thinkers, including Immanuel Kant, Ernst Mach and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Major Gestalt Psychologists:

Max Wertheimer

Kurt Koffka

Wolfgang Kohler

Psychoanalysis: Sigmund Freud was the founder of psychoanalysis and the psychodynamic approach to psychology. This school of thought emphasized the influence of theunconscious on behavior. Freud believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: the id, the ego and the super ego.

Major Thinkers Associated With Psychoanalysis:

Sigmund Freud

Anna Freud

Erik Erikson

Humanistic psychology: was instead focused on each individual’s potential and stressed the importance of growth and self-actualization. The fundamental belief of humanistic psychology was that people are innately good, with mental and social problems resulting from deviations from this natural tendency 

Major Thinkers in Humanistic Psychology

Abraham Maslow

Carl Rogers

Cognitive psychology: is the branch of psychology that studies mental processes including how people think, perceive, remember and learn. As part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience, philosophy, and linguistics.

Important People in the History of Cognitive Psychology

Gustav Fechner

Wilhelm Wundt

Edward B. Titchener

Hermann Ebbinghaus

William James

Wolfgang Kohler

Edward Tolman

Jean Piaget

This video might heelp you to remember this info !

APPLICATIONS OF PSYCHOLOGY

Whereas basic researchers test theories about mind and behavior, applied psychologists are motivated by a desire to solve practical human problems. Four particularly active areas of application are health, education, business, and law.

HEALTH

Today, many psychologists work in the emerging area of health psychology. Many of them study psychophysiological disorders (also called psychosomatic disorders), conditions that are brought on or influenced by psychological states, most often stress. Health psychologists also study how people cope with stress. Other researchers in this field examine the psychological factors that underlie lots of behaviors harmful to health.

EDUCATION

Psychologists in all branches of the discipline contribute to our understanding of teaching, learning, and education.

Two fields within psychology focus exclusively on education: educational psychology and school psychology. Educational psychologists seek to understand and improve the teaching and learning process within the classroom and other educational settings. Educational psychologists study topics such as intelligence and ability testing, student motivation, discipline and classroom management, curriculum plans, and grading.

BUSINESS

In the business world, psychology is applied in the workplace and in the marketplace. Industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology focuses on human behavior in the workplace and other organizations. Many I-O psychologists study the factors that influence worker motivation, satisfaction, and productivity.

Consumer psychology is the study of human decision making and behavior in the marketplace. In this area, researchers analyze the effects of advertising on consumers’ attitudes and buying habits. Consumer psychologists also study various aspects of marketing.

LAW

Many psychologists today work in the legal system. They consult with attorneys, testify in court as expert witnesses, counsel prisoners, teach in law schools, and research various justice-related issues.

Studies in forensic psychology have helped to illuminate weaknesses in the legal system. Psychologists in this area often testify in court as expert witnesses. In cases involving the insanity defense, forensic clinical psychologists are often called to court to give their opinion about whether individual defendants are sane or insane. 

OTHER DOMAINS OF APPLICATION

Psychology has applications in many other domains of human life. Environmental psychologists focus on the relationship between people and their physical surroundings. In a related field, human factors psychologists work on the design of appliances, furniture, tools, and other manufactured items in order to maximize their comfort, safety, and convenience. Sports psychologists advise athletes and study the physiological, perceptual-motor, motivational, developmental, and social aspects of athletic performance. Other psychologists specialize in the study of political behavior, religion, sexuality, or behavior in the military.

Definition of psychology

The word "psychology" is the combination of two terms - study (ology) and soul (psyche), or mind. The derivation of the word from Latin gives it this clear and obvious meaning:

The study of the soul or mind.

This meaning has been altered over the years until today, this is not what the word means at all. The subject of psychology, as studied in colleges and universities, currently has very little to do with the mind, and absolutely nothing to do with the soul or spirit.

 According to MedicineNet.com it can be defined as: 

 The study of the mind and mental processes, especially in relation to behavior. There are a number of fields of psychology. 

• Clinical psychology is concerned with diagnosing and treating disorders of the brain, emotional disturbances, and behavior problems. 
• Child psychology is the study of the mental and emotional development of children and is part of developmental psychology, the study of changes in behavior that occur through the life span. 
• Cognitive psychology deals with how the human mind receives and interprets impressions and ideas.
• Social psychology looks at how the actions of others influence the behavior of an individual.

This is just an experiment I'd like to share. It's interesting and cute and the same time. Enjoy! 

The marshmallow experiment is a famous test of this concept conducted by Walter Mischel at Stanford University and discussed by Daniel Goleman in his popular work. In the 1960s, a group of four-year olds were given a marshmallow and promised another, only if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one. Some children could wait and others could not. The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence, and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined via surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.