What are the main schools of psychology?
Monday, February 26, 2024
Psychology as a whole presents the opportunity to learn various professional approaches to explore the human mind. In this article, we will tell you about the psychological schools subscribed to by the discipline, which will serve as a basis for understanding human psychology.
Psychology is one of the most popular disciplines in the field of social sciences, in part due to the breadth of topics it covers. Many people choose to study psychology because it allows for research, analysis, and conjectures on a wide range of areas. Due to its wide scope, there are many theories that make up today’s field of psychology practice and study.
What are the psychological schools?
Psychological schools of thought are the major theories of psychology that have emerged over the years of research and analysis by psychology professionals and scholars. In simple terms, there are different ways of approaching psychological analysis according to the perspective and approach that best suits the mental health professional, the patient or the community receiving service.
These theories not only provide a particular perspective for studying psychological processes but also offer specific tools, techniques, and methodologies for professional practice. Until a few years ago, psychological schools were exhaustive, meaning that one excluded the other. However, this has changed significantly, as a large percentage of psychologists now draw from multiple psychological approaches to form their own unique psychological outlook.
What are the main psychological schools of thought?
Structuralism
It is considered one of the most important psychological schools because it was the first recognized within the discipline, even though it is not as widely followed in current thinking. Founded by Wilhelm Wundt, this school of thought focuses on studying the structure of the brain and how our minds are structured to shape different behaviors.
To carry out their research, structuralists often used introspection. They believed that self-reflection and delving into one's inner thoughts could help individuals understand their responses. Although it is one of the most well-known psychological schools, it has very little influence on psychological processes today, as it has been surpassed by new theories, covered below.
Psychoanalysis
Behaviorism
Behaviorism is one of the newer psychological schools, emerging in the 1950s. As a theory and approach, it primarily focuses on observing behavior as the key to psychology. Instead of studying the structure of the mind like structuralists, behaviorists focus on observing human behavior.
As a discipline, behaviorism argues that behavior can be explained by the external context of the individual rather than internal forces. The main figures of behaviorism are John B. Watson and Burrhus Frederic Skinner. They concentrated on studying behavior only, without considering the processes that occur in the nervous system or mental processes.
Gestalt Psychology
Functionalism
Also known as functional psychology, this is the psychological school that considers the functioning of the brain and mental processes to explain an individual's behavior. Additionally, for functionalism, the context in which each patient grows up and exists is of vital importance.
Functionalism originated in the United States in the late 19th century as an alternative to structuralism. Psychologists in this school, such as Edward Titchener and William James, used the method of introspection from a mentalistic perspective to understand how humans use knowledge to solve everyday and specific problems.
Cognitivism
Also known as cognitive psychology, cognitive science, or cognitivism, it focuses on the study of cognition, which involves mental processes such as perception, memory, reasoning, language, and planning. Cognitivism utilizes knowledge and scientific research methods, such as neurophysiology, to identify and understand how individuals perceive reality.
Cognitive psychology has been approached from two points of interest, both by its main proponents like Donald Broadbent, Ulric Neisser, and Jean Piaget, as well as by modern psychologists. The first point of interest in this psychological school is to study how people understand the world they live in. The second interest of cognitivism is to explain how cognition leads to behavior.
As you can see, psychology is a discipline with many areas of study that provide professionals with objectives based on their preferences and academic beliefs. Today, psychologists have a wide variety of tools to understand the human mind and help promote good mental health and better interpersonal relationships.
How and where to study psychology?
At Saint Leo University, you can study a bachelor's degree in psychology that will open the doors to an exciting world. This is a 100% online Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program that allows you to gain professional knowledge about how people think, feel, and behave. This is made possible by acquiring the necessary knowledge through courses in forensic medicine, counseling, industrial and organizational psychology.
Though this is not a clinical psychology course, it sets you up for success in pursuing clinical graduate studies if that is your desired career path.
Obtaining this psychology degree valid in the United States will allow you to work in various areas such as law, business, human resources management, advertising, marketing, and sales. All of this is achieved through comprehensive education and flexibility to adapt your course of study to your lifestyle.
Reach out to an advisor to find out more or apply today through our simple, cost-free application.