Schools of Psychology

Overview:
The main schools of psychology. Main focus points. List of psychotherapies. Why are there so many schools of Psychology? Why so Many Psychotherapeutic Approaches? Preferences of Psychotherapeutic Approaches in different continents. Where do they all meet? Common ethical guidelines.

PART 1: Videolectures

Videolecture 1: Why so many schools of thought in psychology and so many psychotherapeutic approaches?

Videolecture 2: A Lecture by Prof Braj Bhushan on the Schools of Psychology from Pre-scientific Psychology to now.

Videolecture 2: The 7 Psychological Perspectives by Prof Newton

PART 2: Study Material

A. In the beginning there was philosophy. Then Biology. Then Psychology.

The most influential Psychology Schools of Thought and its main founders are:

1. Structuralism: Wilhelm Wundt (first psychological laboratory in Leipzig, Germany in 1879, founder of psychology). Key: introspection, which “involves looking inwards; reflecting on, analyzing and trying to make sense of our own internal experiences as they occur”
2. Functionalism: William James. Key: introspection in conjunction with mental tests, questionnaires, and physiological measures.
3. Psychoanalytic school: Sigmund Freud. Key: work on the unconscious and early childhood experience.
   Prenatal Psychology comes from this School of Thought.
4. Behaviorism: John Watson, B.F. Skinner, Ivan Pavlov. Key: reinforcement and punishment — observable, environmental factors.
5. Cognitivism: Aaron T. Beck, Albert Ellis. Key: How we perceive, think, remember and learn.
6. Humanistic: Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow. Key: How to help people. Person as the center. Free will and choice
7. Gestalt: Max Wertheimer. Key: Form, pattern, whole. Meaning is lost when ideas are broken down.
8. Systems psychology (also systemic psychology): Gregory Bateson, Felix Guattari, G. Bateson, H. Maturana. Key: Groups and individuals are considered as systems in homeostasis.

B. Study the following material:

1. 1. Schools of Psychotherapy and the Beginnings of a Scientific Approach (James F. Boswell et al.)
   
2. List of Psychotherapies
   
3. List of Therapies
   

PART 3: Self-Study Material

History of Modern Psychology_BOOK

PART 4: Inspiration

“The human race is a monotonous affair. Most people spend the greatest part of their time working in order to live, and what little freedom remains so fills them with fear that they seek out any and every means to be rid of it.” –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe