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Schools of psychology.pptx

This document provides an overview of the major schools of thought in psychology, including their key ideas and contributors. It discusses early schools like structuralism and functionalism, as well as behaviorism, psychoanalysis, humanistic psychology, cognitive psychology, and Gestalt psychology. Each school made important contributions to the field of psychology and influenced approaches to education. While some schools have declined, elements of different approaches remain relevant today as psychologists often take an eclectic approach.

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SCHOOLS OF PSYCHOLOGY Mrs.Nagamani.T, MSc (N)
Introduction  A group of psychologist having similar point of views and making similar approaches to study the human mind or behavior constitutes a school of thought in psychology. There are several schools of psychology and each has developed some systems of ideas which not only influenced the development of various trends and approaches for the study of behavior but also affected the process and product of education.
Major Schools of thought in Psychology  Early Schools of Thought. Structulism and Functionalism  Behaviorism  Psychoanalysis  Humanistic Psychology  Cognitive Psychology  Gestalt Psychology
Structuralism and Functionalism: Early Schools of Thought  Structuralism is widely regarded as the first school of thought in psychology.  This outlook focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components.  Major thinkers associated with structuralism include Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener.  The focus of structuralism was on reducing mental processes down into their most basic elements.  The structuralists used techniques such as introspection to analyze the inner processes of the human mind.
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION 1) Structuralism emphasized the systematic observation of the activities of the learner under controlled learning conditions. 2) It is an experiment method for studying human behavior – experimental introspection. 3) It initiated the spirit of science and experimentation in the field of education.
Functionalism  Functionalism formed as a reaction to the theories of the structuralist school of thought and was heavily influenced by the work of William James.  It functioned on the mind's functions and adaptations. Unlike some of the other well- known schools of thought in psychology, functionalism is not associated with a single dominant theorist.  Instead, there are some different functionalist thinkers associated with this outlook including John Dewey, James Rowland Angell,
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION Functionalism revolutionized the curriculum by replacing theoretical overloaded curriculum with practical approaches. Study of various problems of the individual and their solutions is emphasized by Functionalism.  Functionalism gave utmost importance to learning by doing and developed activity oriented methods like project methods for teaching and learning. Functionalism gave birth to utilitarian theory of education. Only those subjects should be include in the curriculum which have practical utility and usefulness in the society.
The Behaviorist School of Thought in Psychology  Behaviorism became a dominant school of thought during the 1950s. It was based upon the work of thinkers such as:  John B. Watson  Ivan Pavlov  B. F. Skinner
 Behaviorism suggests that all behavior can be explained by environmental causes rather than by internal forces. Behaviorism is focused on observable behavior. Theories of learning including classical conditioning and operant conditioning were the focus of a great deal of research.  The behavioral school of psychology had a significant influence on the course of psychology, and many of the ideas and techniques that emerged from this school of thought are still widely used today.
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION Behaviorism gave new ideas and innovations in the field of education. It individualized self instructional programs involving teaching machines and computer assisted instruction. Behaviorism replaced punishments and unpleasant experiences by rewards and reinforcement in teaching learning programs. Technique of shaping behavior and behavior modification programs advocated by Behaviorist has contributed a lot in dealing with back ward and mal adjusted children in the class room.
The Psychoanalytic School of Thought  Psychoanalysis is a school of psychology founded by Sigmund Freud. This school of thought emphasized the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior.  Freud believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: the id, ego, and superego. The id consists of primal urges while the ego is the component of personality charged with dealing with reality. The superego is the part of the personality that holds all of the ideals and values we internalize from our parents and culture. Freud believed that the interaction of these three elements was what led to all of the complex human behaviors.  Freud's school of thought was enormously influential, but also generated considerable debate. This controversy existed not only in his time but also in modern discussions of Freud's theories.
 Other major psychoanalytic thinkers include:  Anna Freud  Carl Jung  Erik Erikson
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION Freud discovered the unconscious motivation which plays an important role in the teaching learning process. Psychoanalysis points out the importance of early- childhood experience in the process of learning. It stressed importance of feelings and emotions in the process of education. Teachers and parents should give children ample opportunity to express their self. It throws light on to the causes of mal-adjustment in children
The Humanistic School of Thought  Humanistic psychology developed as a response to psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Humanistic psychology instead focused on individual free will, personal growth and the concept of self-actualization. While early schools of thought were primarily centered on abnormal human behavior, humanistic psychology differed considerably in its emphasis on helping people achieve and fulfill their potential. Major humanist thinkers include:  Abraham Maslow  Carl Rogers Humanistic psychology remains quite popular today and has had a significant influence on other areas of psychology including positive psychology. This particular branch of psychology is centered on helping people living happier, more fulfilling lives.
Cognitive School of Psychology  Cognitive psychology is the school 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.  Cognitive psychology began to emerge during the 1950s, partly as a response to behaviorism. Critics of behaviorism noted that it failed to account for how internal processes impacted behavior. This period is sometimes referred to as the "cognitive revolution" as a wealth of research on topics such as information processing, language, memory, and perception that began to emerge.  One of the most influential theories of this school of thought was the stages of cognitive development theory proposed by Jean Piaget.
GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY  The system of Gestalt psychology was born in Germany and it was forwarded by Max Wertheimer. Gestalt psychologists emphasized the importance of the role of configuration or organization in the perceptual field and highlight the role of insight and understanding in learning. The fundamental tenants of these schools are follows The first principle of Gestalt psychology is that it is the whole which determines the behavior of its parts. An individual perceives the thing as whole not as mere collections of its constituents or elements. A learning situation is more than the elements of which it part is composed.
 CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION Gestalt school emphasized the importance of presenting the subject matter as a whole in the class so as to make learning more meaningful. Gestalt principles have find its application in the construction of curriculum, organization of syllabus, scheme of studies, work plan etc. Wholistic method of teaching, Wholistic evaluation, insight learning comprehensive education programs etc draw there inspiration from gestalt. Gestalt school emphasized the importance of motivation and purpose in any learning. This has resulted in central role of motivation in any scheme of learning.
Conclusion  While some schools of thought have faded into obscurity, each has had an influence on the course of psychology's development. Some more recent schools of psychology, including behaviorism and cognitive psychology, remain highly influential.  Today, many psychologists do not align themselves solely with a single school of thought. Instead, they may take a more eclectic approach, drawing upon many different perspectives and theoretical backgrounds.