Psychology: Structuralism vs. Functionalism

During the first decades of psychology, two main schools of thought dominated the field: structuralism and functionalism. Structuralism was a system of psychology developed by Edward Bradford Titchener, an American psychologist who studied under Wilhelm Wundt. Structuralists believed that the task of psychology is to identify the basic elements of consciousness in much the same way that physicists break down the basic particles of matter. For example, Titchener identified four elements in the sensation of taste: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. The main method of investigation in structuralism was introspection. The influence of structuralism in psychology faded after Titchener’s death in 1927.

In contradiction to the structuralist movement, William James promoted a school of thought known as functionalism, the belief that the real task of psychology is to investigate the function, or purpose, of consciousness rather than its structure. James was highly influenced by Darwin’s evolutionary theory that all characteristics of a species must serve some adaptive purpose. Functionalism enjoyed widespread appeal in the United States. Its three main leaders were James Rowland Angell, a student of James; John Dewey, who was also one of the foremost American philosophers and educators; and Harvey A. Carr, a psychologist at the University of Chicago.

In their efforts to understand human behavioral processes, the functional psychologists developed the technique of longitudinal research, which consists of interviewing, testing, and observing one person over a long period of time. Such a system permits the psychologist to observe and record the person’s development and how he or she reacts to different circumstances


Shaped by Wundt's ideas, structuralism was based on the notion that the task of psychology is to analyze consciousness into its basic elements and investigate how these elements are related (c.f. physics), hence the study of sensations, feelings and images as components of conscious experience. Structuralists depend on the method of introspection.

Architected by William James (1842-1910), functionalists believed that psychology should investigate the function or purpose of consciousness, rather than its structure. Such notion was derived from Darwin's theories of natural selection, which suggest that all characteristics of a species (e.g. consciousness of human) should serve some purpose as otherwise they wont be selected over time by nature.

Functionalists argue that consciousness consists of a continuous flows of thoughts (or stream of consciousness) and one should not only look at the static points (structure) in that flow. Hence they are more interested in how people adapt their behaviour to the real world. The practical orientation of functionalism fostered the development of applied psychology and behaviourism.