Structuralism and Functionalism
Early Schools of Thought
When psychology was first established as a science separate from biology and philosophy, the debate over how to describe and explain the human mind and behavior began. Structuralism emerged as the first school of thought and was advocated by the founder of the first psychology lab, Wilhelm Wundt. Almost immediately other theories surfaced to vie for dominance in psychology. In response to structuralism, an American perspective emerged under the influence of thinkers such as Charles Darwin and William James.
In 1906, Mary Whiton Calkins published an article in Psychological Review asking for a reconciliation between these two schools of thought. Structuralism and functionalism were not so different, she argued, since both are principally concerned with the conscious self. Despite this, aspersions continued to be cast by both sides. William James wrote that structuralism had “plenty of school, but no thought” (James, 1904), while Wilhelm Wundt dismissed functionalism as “literature.”
Eventually both of these schools of thought lost dominance in psychology, replaced by the rise of behaviorism, psychoanalysis, and humanism.
Structuralism
Structuralism was the first school of psychology and focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components. Researchers tried to understand the basic elements of consciousness using a method known as introspection. Wilhelm Wundt, founder of the first psychology lab, was an advocate of the structuralist position and is often considered the founder of structuralism.
While Wundt's work helped to establish psychology as a separate science and contributed methods to experimental psychology, the structuralist school of thought did not last long beyond the death of Wundt's student, Edward Titchner.
Major Structuralist Thinkers
Wilhelm Wundt
Edward Titchner
Criticisms of Structuralism
By today’s scientific standards, the experimental methods used to study the structures of the mind were too subjective—the use of introspection led to a lack of reliability in results.
Other critics argue that structuralism was too concerned with internal behavior, which is not directly observable and cannot be accurately measured.
Strengths of Structuralism
Structuralism is important because it is the first major school of thought in psychology.
Structuralism also influenced experimental psychology.
Functionalism
Functionalism formed as a reaction to the structuralism and was heavily influenced by the work of William James and the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin. Functionalists sought to explain the mental processes in a more systematic and accurate manner. Rather than focusing on the elements of consciousness, functionalists focused on the purpose of consciousness and behavior. Functionalism also emphasized individual differences, which had a profound impact on education.
Major Functionalist Thinkers
William James
John Dewey
Harvey Carr
John Angell
Criticisms of Functionalism
“It is literature. It is beautiful, but it is not psychology,” said Wilhelm Wundt of functionalist William James’ The Principles of Psychology (Fancher, R.E., 1996).
Strengths of Functionalism
Influenced behaviorism and applied psychology.
Influenced the educational system, especially with regards to John Dewey’s belief that children should learn at the level for which they are developmentally prepared.
References:
Calkins, M. W. (1906) A reconciliation between structural and functional psychology. Psychological Review, 13, 61-81.
James, W. (1904) The Chicago school. Psychological Bulletin. 1, 1-5.
Fancher, R. E. (1996) Pioneers of Psychology. New York: Norton. |
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