Psychological Approaches & Famous Psychologists

Wolfgang Kohler

A Gestalt psychologist who became known for his experiments with chimpanzees and insight in problem solving. He believed that by perceiving the whole situation, chimps were able to create novel solutions to problems (rather than just by trial and error). Through insight, chimps were able to use props in order to retrieve rewards.

Behavioral Psychology

A contemporary approach to the study of psychology that focuses on how animals learn or modify behaviors based upon responses received in the environment

Humanistic Psychology

A contemporary psychological approach that believes that each person has freedom in directing his or her future and achieving personal growth

Sociocultural Psychology

A contemporary psychological approach that emphasizes the influences of ethnicity, culture, gender, and socioeconomic status on behavior

Cognitive Psychology

A contemporary school of psychology focused on how we process, store, retrieve, and use information and how cognitive processes influence behavior

Biological Psychology

A contemporary school of psychology that studies how physical and chemical changes in our bodies influence our behavior

Psychoanalysis

A contemporary school of psychology, founded by Sigmund Freud, that emphasizes the importance of unconscious motives and conflicts as determinants of human behavior

Gestalt Psychology

An early psychological approach that emphasizes that we often perceive the whole rather than the sum of the parts

Inheritable Traits

An early psychology approach interested in how heredity influences a person's abilities, character, and behavior

Functionalism

An early school of psychology that focused on how our mental and behavioral processes function - how they enable us to adapt, survive, and flourish.

Structuralism

An early school of psychology that used introspection to explore the basic elements that make up conscious experiences

John B. Watson

Behaviorist interested in external behaviors of people and their reactions on a given situation; famous for Little Albert study in which baby was taught to fear a white rat

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats

Sir Francis Galton

British researcher, considered the father of mental tests; interested in the origin of intelligence; creator of the inheritable traits theory

Max Wertheimer

Co-founder of Gestalt psychology; argued against dividing human thought and behavior into discrete structures

Kurt Koffka

Co-founder of Gestalt psychology; interested in the principles the brain used in constructing perception

Ivan Pavlov

Famous behavioral psychologist who discovered classical conditioning; trained dogs to salivate at the ringing of a bell

Jean Piaget

Famous cognitivist who developed theory explaining the cognitive development of children

Rollo May

Famous humanist who emphasized belief in free will and freedom of choice

William James

Founder of functionalism; studied how humans use perception to function in our environment; created 1st psychology textbook

Sigmund Freud

Founder of psychoanalysis, a controversial theory about the workings of the unconscious mind; used technique of free association to study unconscious processes

Wilhelm Wundt

German physiologist who founded psychology as a formal science; opened first psychology research laboratory in 1879; created structuralism

Carl Rogers

Humanist who founded person-centered therapy, theory that emphasizes the unique quality of humans especially their freedom and potential for personal growth, unconditional positive regard, fully functioning person