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Origins of Psychology: Structuralism and Functionalism

Author: Erick Taggart

Source: Image of Wilhelm Wundt, CC, http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A1jl:Wilhelm_Wundt_(1832-1920).jpg\\ ; Image of William James PD-1923 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_James_b1842c.jpg Image source: Public Domain (prior to 1923)

Video Transcript
Terms to Know
Functionalism

Perspective that mental processes cannot be broken down and instead are a steady flow of consciousness.

Structuralism

Theoretical perspective that mental phenomena can be broken down into basic parts.

People to Know
Wilhelm Wundt

The father of psychology, Wundt was a structuralist who set up a research laboratory in Germany 1879

William James

A student of Wilhelm Wundt’s, James was a functionalist and the first American to study psychology