Major Schools of Psychology and Their Connections
Timeline of Major Approaches in Psychology
Main Key
Time Approach Key Concepts & Examples
Question Psychologists
Focus on the structure of consciousness.
"What are the Introspection: looking inside and describing
Wilhelm Wundt,
1879 Structuralism basic parts of what you feel. Example: Eating chocolate –
Edward Titchener
the mind?" describe taste, smell, texture. Like taking apart
a toy to see all pieces.
"What does Focus on usefulness of mental processes.
the mind do to William James, Example: Why do we feel hungry? Because it
1890s Functionalism
help us John Dewey helps us survive. Like asking what a toy does,
adapt?" not just how it’s built.
Focus on the unconscious mind. Defence
"What hidden mechanisms (repression, denial, projection)
Early thoughts and protect us from anxiety. Example: Forgetting
Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud
1900s feelings affect homework because deep down you feel
us?" anxious. Like checking if something hidden
inside the toy makes it act strangely.
Focus on observable behaviour. Example:
"What actions
John B. Watson, You study more if you get rewards. Like only
1913 Behaviourism can we see and
B.F. Skinner watching what the toy does when you press
change?"
buttons.
Focus on perception as a whole. "The whole is
"How do we greater than the sum of its parts." Laws:
Max Wertheimer,
Early Gestalt perceive Figure–ground, Proximity, Similarity, Closure,
Wolfgang Köhler,
1900s Psychology wholes, not Continuity. Example: Seeing a dotted circle as
Kurt Koffka
just parts?" a circle, not just dots. Like looking at the
whole painting, not just brushstrokes.
"How can we Focus on personal growth, free will, self-
Humanistic grow and be Carl Rogers, actualization. Example: You study because you
1950s
Approach our best Abraham Maslow dream of becoming something great. Like
selves?" helping the toy reach its best performance.
Combine different approaches. Example: A
"Can we use counsellor may explore feelings
Modern Eclectic Contemporary
Today all ideas (psychoanalysis), teach relaxation
Approach Psychologists
together?" (humanistic), and use rewards (behaviourism).
Like using all tools to fix or improve the toy.
Introspection Looking inside yourself and describing what you notice.
Class activity: Close your eyes, hear a bell sound. Now describe:
What did you hear?
Was it loud or soft?
Did it make you feel calm or tense?
That process is introspection, used by Structuralists to study the mind.
Connections Between Approaches
Structuralism: First step – break the mind into parts.
Functionalism: Next step – what do those parts do?
Psychoanalysis: Look deeper into the unconscious and inner conflicts. (Defence mechanisms belong
here.)
Behaviourism: Focus only on what we can see and measure.
Gestalt: Look at the mind as a whole – we see patterns and organized wholes.
Humanistic: Focus on personal growth and meaning.
Modern Eclectic: Use whichever approach helps best.
Metaphor:
All approaches are like different glasses to look at human behaviour:
Structuralism = take apart the clock and name its pieces.
Functionalism = ask what the clock is for.
Psychoanalysis = look for hidden parts inside the clock.
Behaviourism = watch how the clock behaves when you press buttons.
Gestalt = step back and see the whole clock face and design.
Humanistic = imagine how the clock could become even better.
Eclectic = use all these views together.
Summary Table
Approach Main Focus Key Words Easy Example
Taste, smell, feelings of eating
Structuralism Parts of the mind Introspection
chocolate
Purpose of mental
Functionalism Adaptation Feeling hungry helps survival
processes
Psychoanalysis Unconscious & defences Repression, denial Forgetting homework due to anxiety
Behaviourism Observable behaviour Rewards, conditioning Studying more when praised
Figure-ground,
Gestalt Seeing wholes Seeing dotted circle as whole circle
closure
Humanistic Growth & potential Self-actualization Studying to reach a dream
Modern Eclectic Mixing all Integration Using all methods in therapy
Final Key Sentence:
Psychology grew step by step. It began with Structuralism asking what are the parts of mind, moved to
Functionalism asking what does the mind do, explored hidden forces in Psychoanalysis, watched actions in
Behaviourism, saw patterns in Gestalt, focused on growth in Humanistic, and today uses an Eclectic
approach that combines them all.
