Today, psychology is defined as the study of mental processes and behavior. How have the works of early schools of thought (e.g., Wilhelm Wundt's structuralism, William James’s functionalism, Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis, and John Watson’s behaviorism) contributed to today’s definition of psychology?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
?Answers will vary. Wundt emphasized studying the conscious areas of the mind which allowed for the exploration of mental processes, such as sensations and perceptions; elements he thought when put together would explain mental processes. Freud was also interested in studying mental processes, but he believed the key to understanding the human mind lay in understanding the unconscious, which he believed could be explored through the techniques of psychoanalysis. On the other hand, William James, was interested in comprehending how specific behaviors helped an organism adapt to its surroundings and was very interested in studying the functional impact of behavior. John Watson believed that only observable stimuli and responses constituted the proper study for psychology. Thus, Wundt and Freud helped to further the understanding of mental process, while James and Watson contributed to our further understanding of external, public behaviors. Together the two main divisions of mental processes and behavior came to represent the domain of psychology.