Schools of Psychology: Main Schools of Thought

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStructuralismFunctionalismGestalt PsychologyBehaviorismPsychoanalysisHumanismCognitive PsychologyBiological Psychology

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

Structuralism

Functionalism

Gestalt Psychology

Behaviorism

Psychoanalysis

Humanism

Cognitive Psychology

Biological Psychology

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Psychology is a relatively young discipline, but psychologists have introduced many different ways of thinking about the human mind and behavior since its inception. When psychology first emerged as a science separate from biology and philosophy, the debate over how to describe and explain the human mind and behavior began.

The different schools of psychology represent the major theories within the field of psychological science. The main schools of psychology are structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, humanism, cognitivism, and biopsychology.

In the past, psychologists often identified themselves exclusively with one single school of thought. Today, most psychologists have an eclectic outlook on psychology. They often draw on ideas and theories from different schools rather than holding to any singular perspective.

Let’s explore some of the major schools of thought that have influenced our knowledge and understanding of psychology to better understand its past and present.

The Structuralist School of Psychology

Structuralismis widely regarded as the first school of thought in psychology. This outlook focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components. Major thinkers associated with structuralism include Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener.

Structuralism focused on reducing mental processes to their most basic elements. Structuralists used techniques such asintrospectionto analyze the inner processes of the human mind.

While these methods were understandably not the most empirically rigorous, the structuralist school of thought played an important role in the development of experimental psychology.

The Functionalist School of Psychology

Instead of focusing on the mental processes themselves, functionalist thinkers were interested in theroles and functionsof these processes.

In a functionalist approach, for example, instead of trying to understand the underlying processes that cause mental states, the focus would be on understanding the function that those states serve. Gaining a better understanding of the purpose would allow psychologists to understand how the mind allows people to respond and adapt to their environments.

The functionalist school was interested in the purpose of thoughts and behaviors, whereas structuralism was concerned with the elements that make up consciousness. While functionalism largely disappeared as a school of thought, its influence persisted in applied psychology, behaviorism, and educational psychology.

Functionalist ThinkersUnlike some of the other well-known schools of thought in psychology, functionalism is not associated with a single dominant theorist. Functionalist thinkers, includingJohn Dewey, James Rowland Angell, and Harvey Carr, are associated with this outlook.Some historians have questioned whether functionalism should be considered a formal school of psychology, given its lack of a central leader or formalized ideas.

Functionalist Thinkers

Unlike some of the other well-known schools of thought in psychology, functionalism is not associated with a single dominant theorist. Functionalist thinkers, includingJohn Dewey, James Rowland Angell, and Harvey Carr, are associated with this outlook.Some historians have questioned whether functionalism should be considered a formal school of psychology, given its lack of a central leader or formalized ideas.

Unlike some of the other well-known schools of thought in psychology, functionalism is not associated with a single dominant theorist. Functionalist thinkers, includingJohn Dewey, James Rowland Angell, and Harvey Carr, are associated with this outlook.

Some historians have questioned whether functionalism should be considered a formal school of psychology, given its lack of a central leader or formalized ideas.

The Gestalt School of Psychology

Gestalt psychologywas a school of psychology based upon the idea that people experience things as unified wholes. This approach to psychology began in Germany and Austria during the late 19th century in response to the molecular approach of structuralism.

Some thinkers associated with the Gestalt school of thought included Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka.

Instead of breaking down thoughts and behavior to their smallest elements, the Gestalt psychologists believed that one must look at the whole of experience. According to Gestalt thinkers, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, a philosophy known asholism.

The Behaviorist School of Psychology

Behaviorismbecame a dominant school of thought during the 1950s. It was based upon the work of thinkers such asJohn B. Watson,Ivan Pavlov, andB. F. Skinner.

Examples of behavioral theories that emerged during this time include:

The behavioral school of psychology significantly influenced the course of psychology. Many ideas and techniques that emerged from this school of thought are still widely used today. Behavioral training, token economies, aversion therapy, and other methods are frequently used in psychotherapy and behavior modification programs.

The Psychoanalytic School of Psychology

Freud believed that the human mind was composed of three elements: theid, ego, and superego.

Freud believed that the interaction of these three elements led to all of the complex human behaviors.

Other important theories within the psychoanalytic school included the idea of the conscious and unconscious, Freud’s psychosexual approach to personality development, and the concept of life and death instincts.

Freud’s work also played an important role in the development of talk therapy as an approach to treating mental illness.

Many traditional Freudian approaches to treatment are no longer in favor, but modern psychoanalytic therapy continues to play an important role in psychology today. Research has shown that using self-examination can play an important role in emotional growth and that it can be an effective treatment for a number of conditions, including depression and anxiety.

RecapFreud’s school of thought was enormously influential, but also generated considerable debate. This controversy existed not only in his time but also in modern discussions of Freud’s theories.

Recap

Freud’s school of thought was enormously influential, but also generated considerable debate. This controversy existed not only in his time but also in modern discussions of Freud’s theories.

The Humanistic School of Psychology

The humanist school of thought represented a positive approach to the study of human psychology.While early schools of thought were primarily centered on abnormal human behavior, humanistic psychology differed considerably in its emphasis on helping people achieve and fulfill their potential.

Humanistic psychology instead focused on topics such as:

Positive PsychologyHumanistic psychology remains quite popular today and has significantly influenced other areas of psychology includingpositive psychology. This particular branch of psychology is centered on helping people live happier, more fulfilling lives.

Positive Psychology

Humanistic psychology remains quite popular today and has significantly influenced other areas of psychology includingpositive psychology. This particular branch of psychology is centered on helping people live happier, more fulfilling lives.

The Cognitive School of Psychology

Cognitive psychologyis the school of psychology that studies mental processes, including how people think, perceive, remember and learn. As part of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines such as neuroscience, philosophy, and linguistics.

Cognitive psychology emerged during the 1950s, partly as a response to behaviorism. Critics of behaviorism noted that it failed to account for how internal processes impacted behavior.

Examples of theories that grew out of the cognitive school of thought include:

This period is sometimes referred to as the “cognitive revolution” as a wealth of research on information processing, language, memory, and perception began to emerge.

Biological psychology, also known as biopsychology or behavioral neuroscience, is a school of thought that focuses on how biological factors influence mental processes and human behavior. Topics of interest in this school of thought include genetics, brain structure, hormones, and neurotransmitters.

This school of thought takes an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating aspects of psychology, biology, and neuroscience. Using these methods, researchers investigate how biological and psychological factors interact to influence people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

This school of thought emphasizes the study of the biological causes of mental health conditions. For example, psychologists working in this area might focus on the biological and genetic factors that play a role in causing mental disorders like schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder. Treatments rooted in this approach may focus on medications that help improve neurotransmitter balances to address brain abnormalities.

The biological school of psychology offers important insights into how genetics, biology, and physiology impact the human mind and behavior, which can have important clinical implications when it comes to understanding the etiology and treatment of mental disorders.

Takeaways

While some schools of thought have faded into obscurity, each has had an influence on the course of psychology’s development. Some more recent schools of psychology, including behaviorism and cognitive psychology, remain highly influential.

Today, many psychologists do not align themselves solely with a single school of thought. Instead, they may take a more eclectic approach, drawing upon many different perspectives and theoretical backgrounds.

11 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sikandar A.John Dewey and his philosophy of education.Journal of Education and Educational Development. 2016;2(2):191. doi:10.22555/joeed.v2i2.446King A.Functionalism and structuralism. In: Jarvie I, Zamora-Bonilla J, eds.The SAGE Handbook of the Philosophy of Social Sciences. Sage Publications; 2011:429-444.Hothersall D, Lovett BJ.History of Psychology. Fifth edition. Cambridge University Press; 2022.Jäkel F, Singh M, Wichmann FA, Herzog MH.An overview of quantitative approaches in Gestalt perception.Vis Res. 2016;126:3-8. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2016.06.004Gundlach H.Max Wertheimer,Habilitationcandidate at the Frankfurt Psychological Institute.History Psychol. 2014;17(2):134-48. doi:10.1037/a0036159Tarzian M, Ndrio M, Fakoya AO.An introduction and brief overview of psychoanalysis.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45171. doi:10.7759/cureus.45171Fonagy P.The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapies: An update.World Psychiatry. 2015;14(2):137-150. doi:10.1002/wps.20235Joseph S.How humanistic is positive psychology? Lessons in positive psychology from Carl Rogers' person-centered approach-It’s the social environment that must change.Front Psychol. 2021;12:709789. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709789Proctor C, Tweed R, Morris D.The Rogerian fully functioning person: A positive psychology perspective.J Humanist Psychol.2016;56(5):503–529. doi:10.1177/0022167815605936de Jager Meezenbroek E, Garssen B, van den Berg M, van Dierendonck D, Visser A, Schaufeli WB.Measuring spirituality as a universal human experience: a review of spirituality questionnaires.J Relig Health. 2012;51(2):336‐354. doi:10.1007/s10943-010-9376-1Ruggiero GM, Spada MM, Caselli G, Sassaroli S.A historical and theoretical review of cognitive behavioral therapies: from structural self-knowledge to functional processes.J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Ther. 2018;36(4):378-403. doi:10.1007/s10942-018-0292-8Additional ReadingHergenhahn, BR.An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; 2009.Wertheimer, M.A Brief History of Psychology. New York: Psychology Press; 2012.

11 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sikandar A.John Dewey and his philosophy of education.Journal of Education and Educational Development. 2016;2(2):191. doi:10.22555/joeed.v2i2.446King A.Functionalism and structuralism. In: Jarvie I, Zamora-Bonilla J, eds.The SAGE Handbook of the Philosophy of Social Sciences. Sage Publications; 2011:429-444.Hothersall D, Lovett BJ.History of Psychology. Fifth edition. Cambridge University Press; 2022.Jäkel F, Singh M, Wichmann FA, Herzog MH.An overview of quantitative approaches in Gestalt perception.Vis Res. 2016;126:3-8. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2016.06.004Gundlach H.Max Wertheimer,Habilitationcandidate at the Frankfurt Psychological Institute.History Psychol. 2014;17(2):134-48. doi:10.1037/a0036159Tarzian M, Ndrio M, Fakoya AO.An introduction and brief overview of psychoanalysis.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45171. doi:10.7759/cureus.45171Fonagy P.The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapies: An update.World Psychiatry. 2015;14(2):137-150. doi:10.1002/wps.20235Joseph S.How humanistic is positive psychology? Lessons in positive psychology from Carl Rogers' person-centered approach-It’s the social environment that must change.Front Psychol. 2021;12:709789. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709789Proctor C, Tweed R, Morris D.The Rogerian fully functioning person: A positive psychology perspective.J Humanist Psychol.2016;56(5):503–529. doi:10.1177/0022167815605936de Jager Meezenbroek E, Garssen B, van den Berg M, van Dierendonck D, Visser A, Schaufeli WB.Measuring spirituality as a universal human experience: a review of spirituality questionnaires.J Relig Health. 2012;51(2):336‐354. doi:10.1007/s10943-010-9376-1Ruggiero GM, Spada MM, Caselli G, Sassaroli S.A historical and theoretical review of cognitive behavioral therapies: from structural self-knowledge to functional processes.J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Ther. 2018;36(4):378-403. doi:10.1007/s10942-018-0292-8Additional ReadingHergenhahn, BR.An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; 2009.Wertheimer, M.A Brief History of Psychology. New York: Psychology Press; 2012.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Sikandar A.John Dewey and his philosophy of education.Journal of Education and Educational Development. 2016;2(2):191. doi:10.22555/joeed.v2i2.446King A.Functionalism and structuralism. In: Jarvie I, Zamora-Bonilla J, eds.The SAGE Handbook of the Philosophy of Social Sciences. Sage Publications; 2011:429-444.Hothersall D, Lovett BJ.History of Psychology. Fifth edition. Cambridge University Press; 2022.Jäkel F, Singh M, Wichmann FA, Herzog MH.An overview of quantitative approaches in Gestalt perception.Vis Res. 2016;126:3-8. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2016.06.004Gundlach H.Max Wertheimer,Habilitationcandidate at the Frankfurt Psychological Institute.History Psychol. 2014;17(2):134-48. doi:10.1037/a0036159Tarzian M, Ndrio M, Fakoya AO.An introduction and brief overview of psychoanalysis.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45171. doi:10.7759/cureus.45171Fonagy P.The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapies: An update.World Psychiatry. 2015;14(2):137-150. doi:10.1002/wps.20235Joseph S.How humanistic is positive psychology? Lessons in positive psychology from Carl Rogers' person-centered approach-It’s the social environment that must change.Front Psychol. 2021;12:709789. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709789Proctor C, Tweed R, Morris D.The Rogerian fully functioning person: A positive psychology perspective.J Humanist Psychol.2016;56(5):503–529. doi:10.1177/0022167815605936de Jager Meezenbroek E, Garssen B, van den Berg M, van Dierendonck D, Visser A, Schaufeli WB.Measuring spirituality as a universal human experience: a review of spirituality questionnaires.J Relig Health. 2012;51(2):336‐354. doi:10.1007/s10943-010-9376-1Ruggiero GM, Spada MM, Caselli G, Sassaroli S.A historical and theoretical review of cognitive behavioral therapies: from structural self-knowledge to functional processes.J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Ther. 2018;36(4):378-403. doi:10.1007/s10942-018-0292-8

Sikandar A.John Dewey and his philosophy of education.Journal of Education and Educational Development. 2016;2(2):191. doi:10.22555/joeed.v2i2.446

King A.Functionalism and structuralism. In: Jarvie I, Zamora-Bonilla J, eds.The SAGE Handbook of the Philosophy of Social Sciences. Sage Publications; 2011:429-444.

Hothersall D, Lovett BJ.History of Psychology. Fifth edition. Cambridge University Press; 2022.

Jäkel F, Singh M, Wichmann FA, Herzog MH.An overview of quantitative approaches in Gestalt perception.Vis Res. 2016;126:3-8. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2016.06.004

Gundlach H.Max Wertheimer,Habilitationcandidate at the Frankfurt Psychological Institute.History Psychol. 2014;17(2):134-48. doi:10.1037/a0036159

Tarzian M, Ndrio M, Fakoya AO.An introduction and brief overview of psychoanalysis.Cureus. 2023;15(9):e45171. doi:10.7759/cureus.45171

Fonagy P.The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapies: An update.World Psychiatry. 2015;14(2):137-150. doi:10.1002/wps.20235

Joseph S.How humanistic is positive psychology? Lessons in positive psychology from Carl Rogers' person-centered approach-It’s the social environment that must change.Front Psychol. 2021;12:709789. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.709789

Proctor C, Tweed R, Morris D.The Rogerian fully functioning person: A positive psychology perspective.J Humanist Psychol.2016;56(5):503–529. doi:10.1177/0022167815605936

de Jager Meezenbroek E, Garssen B, van den Berg M, van Dierendonck D, Visser A, Schaufeli WB.Measuring spirituality as a universal human experience: a review of spirituality questionnaires.J Relig Health. 2012;51(2):336‐354. doi:10.1007/s10943-010-9376-1

Ruggiero GM, Spada MM, Caselli G, Sassaroli S.A historical and theoretical review of cognitive behavioral therapies: from structural self-knowledge to functional processes.J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Ther. 2018;36(4):378-403. doi:10.1007/s10942-018-0292-8

Hergenhahn, BR.An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; 2009.Wertheimer, M.A Brief History of Psychology. New York: Psychology Press; 2012.

Hergenhahn, BR.An Introduction to the History of Psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; 2009.

Wertheimer, M.A Brief History of Psychology. New York: Psychology Press; 2012.

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