School of Psychology

Psychologists have grouped together to form various schools of psychology with distinct approaches to the study of behavior. Structuralists attempted to identify elements of conciousness and how these elements form the structure of mind. Functionalists studied the functions of mental processes in adapting the individual to the environment. They broadened the scope of psychology and extended its influence to such fields as education and industry.
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Freud’s psychoanalytic theory examined psychologycal problems that were presumed to be caused by unconscious conflicts. The Gestalt school studied organizing principles of perceptual processes and paved the way for an ecletic approach.

Behaviorism emphasizes observable behaviors and the ways they are learned. Humanistic psychology focuses on inner meanings and asumes our nature is positive and growth-seeking. Cognitive psychology examines reasoning and mental processes.

Psychobiology attempts to explain behavior as complex chemical and biological events within the brain.