Functionalism
Functionalism
Functionalism
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Functionalism is argued to be the relationship between nature and mental states (Polger,
2022). According to functionalism, mentals states can be distinguished by what it does rather
than their underlying components. This can be understood by thinking about physiology as
proceeding anatomy, just as the study of consciousness’ structure came before function. In
particular, the useful analogy between minds and computers served as the first inspiration for
functionalism. The primary argument for functionalism depends on demonstrating its advantages
systematic psychology proposed by Edward B. Titchner. It looks at aiming to analyze the adult
mind in terms of examining the fundamental components of ideas and experiences before
figuring out how these components fit together in an intricate framework (Lopez-Garrido, 2021).
Contrasted with structuralism, functionalism was seen to be the most beneficial to psychology as
it has paved the way for applied psychology. As applied psychology is generally the study of
using scientific methods in psychology to solve problems related to human behaviour, animal
behaviour, and experience (Britannica, 2022). This area of psychology also gave rise for
One way that functionalism was prominent in psychology was through research areas
such as applied psychology. Applied Psychology is the area concerned with treating and
diagnosing mental and emotional disorders while also researching the effectiveness of therapy
provided (N, 2018). The two are inherently interwoven because introspection is at the core of
celebrated within the framework of functionalism, which sought to explain the results of the
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mind's operations. "Functionalists viewed the mind not as a collection of mental parts of
structure but as a conglomerate or aggregation of functions and processes that lead to practical
implications in the real world." [Transcription] "Functionalists viewed the mind not as a
processes. Due to the lack of clarity in the function specification, that was an inquiry that needed
but both schools of thought were dedicated to the scientific investigation of psychology.
Functionalists were fascinated by the processes and outcomes of an organism's behaviors, while
structuralists were more interested in the outcomes of those acts (Stojiljković et al., 2018). They
both failed because they tried to discover answers to these difficulties by looking within
themselves, which is not a scientific technique. As a result, neither of them was successful.
consider the first important. In much the same manner as Mike did with water, structuralists seek
to break down the mind into its parts (or "structure") to understand it better. The ground breaking
work of Wilhelm Wundt, who in 1879 founded the first psychology laboratory, is considered the
ancestor of the structuralist school of thought. However, Edward Titchener, a student of Wundt's,
was the one who first used the term "structuralism," and he went on to become primarily
responsible for the spread of the ideology. Titchener held the opinion, contrary to that of his
professor, that the scope of study in psychology should extend beyond the mind and include
awareness. According to his interpretation, human awareness comprises all our thoughts and
feelings at any given moment. Therefore, the mind serves as a repository for everything that we
have ever experienced throughout our lives (Van et al., 2018). Titchener and his fellow
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structuralists concluded that if we broke down the mind into its parts, we would get a deeper
understanding of how our thoughts are organized and new perspectives on higher-level thinking.
human awareness through introspection. Introspection, sometimes known as just looking inside,
is a method that can be utilized to improve one's understanding of their current mental state.
However, some psychologists held that introspection was too subjective because each individual
has their own unique perspective of the universe. William James, a significant figure in the
development of functionalism, was also a vocal opponent of the structuralist school of thought.
When contrasting the structuralist and functionalist views of the mind, one can see that a
vital distinction exists between the two. Functionalists claim that dissecting human mental
processes to gain a greater understanding of them is not only irrational but also impossible, even
though structuralists like doing so to comprehend them better. Edward Bradford Titchener, a
student of the originator of structuralism, Wilhelm Wundt, argues that in order to have a
complete understanding of the human mind, one need only differentiate between three categories
Because it is only via the collaboration of these various forms of awareness that humans can
operate, William James, the father of functionalism, believed it was impossible to separate these
various parts of awareness. Despite their differences, each of these thinkers made significant
contributions to the growth and development of psychology. One of the most compelling
human awareness. Because Wundt was the first person to study psychology formally, it was
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essential for his ideas to have a basis in scientific research. James's functionalism gradually
drifted away from the scientific method and toward the investigation of psychological
phenomena (Kwon et al., 2018). It was more realistic since it did not demand of its participants
that they "strip perception of all associations," a strategy that James believed would have a
The validity of Wundt's hypotheses may have been called into question, but nobody can
deny the importance of his contributions to the discipline of psychology. The numerous
psychologists who came after him are indebted to him for laying the framework for the current
status of psychology as a discipline that adheres strictly to scientific norms. James "established
that psychology encompasses more than just the study of perception and experience; he paved
the way for later psychologists like Sigmund Freud, whose theoretical foundations were based
more on philosophy than science. James "established that psychology encompasses more than
just the study of perception and experience. The structuralist tradition was brought to the United
States by E. B. Titchener, a Wilhelm Wundt student. The functionalist tradition has had a
mental states. Although I find myself more sympathetic to the insights of functionalism than
understanding the mind and behavior because they focus on the conscious processes that lie at
the center of the human experience. However, I am more sympathetic to functionalism's insights
than structuralism.
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References
https://www.britannica.com/science/construct
www.simplypsychology.org/structuralism.html
https://psychologydictionary.org/clinical-psychology/
https://iep.utm.edu/functism/
Stojiljković, D., & Ristić Trajković, J. (2018). Semiotics and urban culture: architectural
van dan Berg, A. (2018). Structural Functionalism Revisited (1): Structuralism. In The Immanent
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