Functionalism
William James was one of the major American psychologists during the mid to late 1800s.
- His classic textbook "The Principles of Psychology" became the standard text in psychology and served for the basis of functionalism.
- Functionalism was about how behavior works to help people live in their environment. Functionalists use methods, such as direct observation.
- While structuralists tried to break down mental processes into their smallest parts, functionalists thought consciousness was a more continuous and changing process.
- Functionalism influenced later psychologists and theories of human thought and behavior.
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