Structuralism vs. Functionalism Cited Essay Example
Structuralism vs. Functionalism Cited Essay Example

Structuralism vs. Functionalism Cited Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 2 (515 words)
  • Published: June 7, 2018
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

The work discusses the comparison between Structuralism and Functionalism, which are two approaches exploring human mind and concerned with conscious self. Though they share some similarities, there are also several differences between them. Wilhelm Wundt founded Structuralism as the first major school of thought in psychology that focused on breaking down mental processes into basic components. This approach relied on the method of introspection, which had a principle flaw. Structuralism died with Wundt as the subject agreement and reliability did not match mainstream views of experimental psychologists. Structuralism maintained that a conscious experience must be described in basic terms. However, it was criticized later for dealing primarily with internal behavior, which was argued to be a non-observable element of consciousness that could not be measured accurately. Functionalism was developed as a reaction to Structuralism.

Influe

...

nced by the work of William James and the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin, functionalism is concerned with how the mind functions and uses the method of introspection. Rather than focusing on the mental elements of structure, functionalists studied the mind as a conglomerate of functions and processes that have practical consequences in the real world. This emphasis on individual differences had a great impact on education, with John Dewey using functionalist theories to propose that children should learn at a developmentally appropriate level. However, like structuralism, functionalism also had its detractors due to issues with loose definitions of terms like "function," leading to the introduction of behaviorism. While structuralsim and functionalism had similarities in their interest in the mental process, behaviorism dealt solely with observable behavioral acts that could be described objectively.Functionalism arose as a response to the limitations

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

of structuralism, and both schools utilized introspection as a means to explore their ideas. Additionally, both functionalism and structuralism had an aspiration for psychology to become a scientific discipline. Despite some similarities between the two approaches, there were also significant differences. Functionalism sought to understand psychological processes by their functions rather than their structure, and drew upon evolutionary theory as opposed to a combination of mental elements. In contrast, behaviorism focused on observable behavior in response to environmental stimuli, shunning introspection in favor of a more scientific methodology. Structuralism ultimately proved insufficient and declined in popularity, owing to its reliance on subjective experiments that could not satisfy contemporary standards of objectivity.Functionalism placed emphasis on the function or purposes of behavior rather than its analysis and description. Although it lacked the exactness needed for its theory and eventually disappeared as a separate school of psychology, it has become part of mainstream psychology. The focus on process instead of structure is evident in modern psychology. While functionalism was an individual approach with inherited problems from the structuralist reliance on introspection, its theory still remains relevant today. Structuralism is important because it was the first major school of thought in psychology and influenced experimental psychology, but it has no place in modern psychology. Functionalism has had a significant impact on modern psychology, including its impact on the educational system, for which this writer is grateful as they will become a teacher soon.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New