Structualism vs Functionalism

Structualism vs Functionalism

  • Submitted By: unquie06
  • Date Submitted: 03/16/2009 8:17 PM
  • Category: Psychology
  • Words: 552
  • Page: 3
  • Views: 1

Structuralism vs. Functionalism 1

Structuralism vs. Functionalism
Andrew Beasley
National University

Structuralism vs. Functionalism 2

Structuralism vs. Functionalism
Is it better to study the mind through life experiences or through the way an organism adapts to its environment? Throughout this paper this writer will pick apart the ideas of structuralism and functionalism. By doing so explaining the similes between the two ideas as well as saying how they relate to psychology today, and stating his views and both theories.
Structuralism is most known because of Edward Bradford Titchener. According to Titchener structuralism dealt with life experiences that were independent or dependent. As well as the conscious experience that proposed that people can observe the same thing but have different views of it. (Schultz 128) The writer thinks that structuralism has some good parts about it. For example stimulus error warned people not to be confused by the mental process under study with the stimulus or object being observed. (Ask.com) stimulus helps people to look outside the box by think deeper about and object instead of stating the obvious. The writer believes that structuralism is still relevant in today’s psychology because since structuralism was criticized by many scientists it laid down the foundation for new developments in psychology to take place because scientist wanted to pass the restrictions of Titchener’s structuralism and development new theories in psychology. One of those scientists was William James
Functionalism is a theory by William James that purposed that the goal of psychology is not the discovery of the elements of experience but rather the study of living people as they adapt to their environment. (The principles of Psychology, 1890)
Structuralism vs. Functionalism 3

Functionalism switched psychologists thinking from a structured way of thinking to a functional way of thinking. Functionalism had...

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