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MAIN SCHOOLS IN MORDERN PSYCHOLOGY

Conference Paper · July 2023

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Nurudeen LAMINI

The human race is really interesting. Do you often wonder why some individuals have such a
strong memory while others do not? Or have you thought about why your best friend is always
having fun while you prefer to stay at home? What influences our thoughts, feelings, and
actions?
Psychology can be simply defined as the study of the mind and behaviour. This discipline
began around 400–500 BC, but contemporary/modern psychology is thought to have started in
1879 with the opening of the first psychology lab by Wilhelm Wundt. Wilhelm Wundt's
laboratory became the hub for those with an interest in the study of psychology. He first made it
accessible to German intellectual thinkers and psychology students, then opened its doors to
students from Great Britain and the United States. In order to understand the underlying
structure, Wundt set out to record thoughts and sensations and break them down into their
component parts, much like a chemist would break down chemical substances. With the help of
Wundt and other pioneers, the study of psychology has advanced significantly. Psychologists
have been examining many facets of human behaviour over time, from personal characteristics to
brain functioning.
When psychology originally became a science apart from biology and philosophy, there
was debate over how to label and explain the human mind and behaviours. The several schools
of psychology represent the fundamental theories in the field of psychological study. The major
psychological schools include;
● Structuralism
● Functionalism
● Gestalt Psychology
● Behavioral Psychology
● Psychoanalytic Psychology
● Humanistic psychology

In the past, psychologists typically identified with just one certain school of thought. Most
psychologists today see psychology from a variety of angles. Instead of sticking to one point of
view, they regularly borrow ideas and theories from other schools. This study discusses the major
schools of thought that have influenced our understanding and knowledge of psychology.

STRUCTURALISM 1
The majority of individuals concur that structuralism was the first school of psychology. This
school placed a strong emphasis on breaking down brain processes into their most basic
components. The structuralists Wilhelm Wundt, Edward B. Titchener, and Oswald Kulpe are
noteworthy philosophers. The aim of structuralism was to dissect mental processes into their
most basic parts. Structuralists used techniques like introspection to study the inner workings of
the human mind.
The introspective experimental method of the structuralists involved having trained
observers assess their internal reactions. Wundt and other experimenters employed this
technique, often referred to as experimental self-observation, to instruct participants on how to
critically and impartially evaluate their own views. Even if the approaches used by the
structuralist school of thinking were probably not the most empirically reliable, they had a
significant impact on the development of experimental psychology.

FUNCTIONALISM 2
Functionalism emerged in response to structuralist views and was greatly influenced by William
James's writings. They focus on the capacities and modifications of the mind.
The functionalist approach emphasizes comprehending the purpose that those states serve rather
than trying to understand the underlying mechanisms that lead to mental states. Psychologists
could better grasp how the mind enables people to respond to and adapt to their situations if they
had a greater knowledge of the goal.
While structuralism was interested in the components of consciousness, the functionalist
school was interested in the reasons behind thoughts and behaviours. Although functionalism as
a school of thought was mostly abandoned, its influence was nevertheless seen in applied
psychology, behaviourism, and the field of educational psychology.
Functionalism is not connected to a particular dominant theory, unlike some of the other
prominent schools of psychology. Instead, a number of functionalist theorists or thinkers, such as
John Dewey, James Rowland Angell, and Harvey Carr, are linked to this point of view.
 Given its absence of a founder or formally established ideas, some historians have
questioned whether functionalism could be regarded as a formal school of psychology.

GESTALT PSYCHOLOGY 3
A psychological school known as "gestalt psychology" was founded on the notion that people
perceive the world as cohesive wholes. In the late 19th century, this method of studying
psychology emerged in Germany and Austria as a reaction to structuralism's molecular approach.
Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka were some of the thinkers affiliated with
the Gestalt School of Psychology.
Gestalt psychologists held that you must consider the entirety of the event rather than
dissect thoughts and behaviour into their component parts. Gestalt theorists subscribe to the
holism theory, which holds that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
The explanations of optical phenomena, such as optical illusions, are some examples of
Gestalt thinking. By studying how the illusion of mobility was produced by alternating railway
lights, Wertheimer described the phi phenomenon. According to the phenomenon, a series of
images that are viewed quickly in succession are regarded as moving.

BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY 4
In the 1950s, behaviourism rose to prominence as a school of thought. It was founded on the
theories put forth by thinkers like B. F. Skinner, Ivan Pavlov, and John B. Watson. According to
behaviourism, external causes rather than internal factors can be used to explain all behaviour.
Observable behaviour is the main emphasis of behaviourism. During this time, various
behavioural theories were developed, such as operant conditioning and classical conditioning.
The behavioural school of psychology had a big impact on how psychology developed.
This school produced several concepts and methods that are still frequently applied today. In
psychotherapy and behaviour modification programs, various techniques like aversion therapy,
token economies, and behavioural training are widely employed.

PSYCHOANALYTIC PSYCHOLOGY 5
Sigmund Freud established the psychological school known as psychoanalysis. This school of
psychology placed a strong emphasis on the unconscious mind's power over behaviour. Other
influential psychoanalytic philosophers included neo-Freudians like Erik Erikson, Alfred Adler,
and Karen Horney as well as Anna Freud, Otto Rank, and Anna Freud. The id, ego, and
superego, according to Freud, are the three components that make up the human mind.
According to Freud, the combination of these three factors is what generates all of the
intricate human behaviours. The concept of the conscious and unconscious, Freud's psychosexual
approach to personality development, and the notion of life and death impulses were all
significant notions within the psychoanalytic school. Although Freud's school of thought was
very influential, it also caused a lot of controversy. This debate surrounded Freud's beliefs in
both his day and today's conversations.
Talk therapy as a method of treating mental illness was developed in part thanks to
Freud's work. Although many of the older Freudian therapeutic philosophies are no longer in
vogue, modern psychoanalytic therapy nevertheless holds a significant place in psychology
today. According to research, self-examination can be crucial for emotional development.

HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY 6
This school of thinking places a strong emphasis on people's capacity to realise their full
potential and to become fully themselves. It is predicated on the premise that self-exploration
and growth are the only ways to realise people's innate yearning for growth and fulfilment.
Abraham Maslow is one humanistic psychologist who focuses on the exploration of the
individual's subjective experience as well as the growth of self-awareness and self-actualization.
The works of Carl Rogers, and Clark Moustakas influenced this school as well.
Humanistic psychology diverged significantly from early schools of thought in that it
placed a strong emphasis on assisting individuals in realising and fulfilling their potential.
Instead, humanistic psychology concentrated on topics like, achieving full maturity as a person,
our free will, the hierarchy of needs, highest achievements, and Self-actualization.

COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 7
This school focuses on the investigation of human cognition and how it shapes behaviour. It is
predicated on the notion that the human mind is a sophisticated mechanism for processing
information and that cognitive functions like memory, problem-solving, and decision-making can
be empirically investigated. Jean Piaget and other cognitive psychologists concentrate on how
people gather, organise, and use information.
In the 1950s, cognitive psychology evolved in part as a reaction to behaviourism.
Behaviorism's detractors pointed out that it neglected to take into consideration how interior
processes influenced behaviour.
CONCLUSION
Just like individuals, psychology is a complex field. Six modern approaches in psychology have
developed from early scientific perspectives. Each school of thought has had an impact on how
psychology has evolved, even though some have vanished into obscurity. Behaviourism and
cognitive psychology are two more recent schools of psychology that are nonetheless quite
important.
Many psychologists today don't identify with just one school of thinking. Instead, they
might adopt a more eclectic strategy, drawing on a variety of viewpoints and theoretical
foundations.

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