Functionalism In Psychology History Principles And Contributions Philosophy Essay

Functionalism In Psychology History Principles And Contributions Philosophy Essay This essay shows a history of functionalism, its principles and contributions. It includes four stages of psychology in the United States, development of functionalism and notable functionalists focusing on Willam James. It shows the theory of free will, habits and instincts, Jamess early years, mind-body debate, consciousness, emotions and the self. The development of self-esteem by James Williams could probably help social workers, counselors and psychologists to tackle clients who are troubled, bullied, depressed, anaroxic or suicidal. Functionalism in Psychology: History, Principles Contributions The alternative model to structuralism was known as functionalism. Founded by William James,who agreed with Edward Titchner that the study of consciousness must be the central theme of psychology. But James disagreed with structuralists search for basic elements of mind, he rather emphasized that psychologists should study how the mind functions. James published a book titled Principles of Psychology in 1890, which promoted functionalism. He agreed that consciousness is an ongoing stream, a property of the mind that continually interacts with the environment. Through this interaction, human beings learn to adapt to their environment. For him, the functions of mind were more important than the structures of mind (Hergenhahn, 2005). This paper will represent the history, principles and current contributions of functionalism. According to Sahakian (1975), thereare four stages of early United States Psychology. The pre-revolution, first stage betweenthe year 1640 1776, the using of reasoning to differentiate between God, beliefs, religion and state.Second stage between the year 1776 1886, commonsense philosophers have agreed to take feelings and senses as equal to reason. Third stage between the year 1886 1896, psychology is separated from philosophy and religion. In the final fourth stage, the publication of John Deweys article The Reflex Arc in Psychology in the year 1896 and themixture of science, apprehension for practicality, importance on individual and evolutionary theorycombined together into the school of functionalism. Functionalism was rooted in Charles Darwins theory of evolution. Evolution is based on individual differences and the survival of adaptive features. Adaptation becomes a popular approach to measuring intelligence and Individual Differences become a valued part of mental research. Unlike most other psychologists who were interested in the structure of mental activity, functionalists were interested in functions, the mental aspects of adapting to an environment. Functionalist were equally interested in individual differences of all mental activity. Functionalism started with John Lockes political theory influenced the American and French Constitutions (Hergenhahn, 2005). His views on education have contributed to the thoughts of every subsequent theorizer in the field.The mind at birth possesses no innate ideas. The mind of man is a tabula rasa or blank slate at birth, upon which is impressed many sense impressions. All knowledge proceeds through sense experience. As the mind stores up a variety of sense impressions, associations occur which provide new knowledge. The mind is consequently passive. The senses provide the mind with the materials which represent reality. These materials are not identical with the extra mental object. The material is the idea within the mind which represents the object outside the mind being received by the senses. By combining, comparing and analyzing these materials or ideas arising through sensations, we derive thoughts. Knowledge is not sense perception but intellectual perception. Functionalists like American philosopher, John Dewey who criticized reductionistic approaches to psychology and argued that experience must be understood in a naturalistic context. He applied the assumptions of functionalism in developing the field of school psychology and educational practices. As the functionalists studied the functions of consciousness, gradually their attention shifted to the learning process itself. They paid less attention to the study of consciousness and more to the environmental conditions that facilitate mental functions. William James was the most influential functionalist.He presented much of the foundation functional psychology, but he did not develop his ideas to the point of an independent school of study. He endorsed some aspects of functionalism, and considered the father of American psychology. Consistent with materialism and evolution, James believed that science opposed the existence of free will. In turn, he proposed free will to be beyond the realm of science. The nature of free will is reflected in voluntary behaviour. To control our voluntary behaviour, we must control the ideas of behaviour. Ideas of action can lead to action, or can be held back consciously.According to James, both habits and instinct are within the brain (not in the mind) and outside of free will(Hergenhahn, 2005). Habits are learned and continuous repetition could stabilize mental functions in the brain. Instincts are unlearned and they are learned patterns of reacting. Instincts are not blind and invariable and can be moulded by habit. James was initially impressed with the scientific advancements tied to both materialism and evolution, but those sciences left him disappointed and even depressed.His depression ended while reading about free will. He doubted free will was an illusion if he could voluntarily believe in free will. Voluntary belief also influenced his approach to science. His major publication was Principles of Psychology which provided a solid foundation of modern psychology in America. James attempted to cover every aspect of psychology and took twelve years to write it, and it was 1,393 pages long (published as two volumes). Principles of Psychology generally support a dualist, interactionist approach to human nature. James presents separate mind phenomena and brain phenomena, and proposes ways in which they interact.Most experimental psychologists at that time were looking for elements of consciousness.James represented the concept of a stream of consciousness. According to James, consciousness is not made up of a bunch of little pieces put together. Consciousness is personal (no need for common elements), continuous (cannot be dismantled), always changing, always selective and choosing (free will) and dealt of objects other than itself (the purpose is functional and adaptive). According to James, the self is the sum of all things which a person can call mine. Including the body and all possessions (material self), the self as it is known by others (social self) and spiritual self(Hergenhahn, 2005). Self as knower (the I, pure ego) is an ultimate vantage point, self that does the knowing and a part of you that remains constant in a changing stream of consciousness. Self-esteem is a ratio of the actual self over the potential self. Esteem could come from achievements and from lowering expectations.The classic theory of emotion in functionalism is stimulus, emotion and response; perceive object, experience emotion and respond to it. Another theory of emotion is stimulus, response and emotion; the behaviour is a functional reaction to the stimulus and the emotion is the result of the response. As a functional result, behaviours associated with how you want to feel can give you that feeling. Functionalism was an overwhelming achievement, unfortunately, it was a bsorbed into the mainstream psychology and not on its own. However, the study of functionalism and the selfresultedthe development of the study of self-esteem which helps the world till today. James had a very simple definition of self-esteem: success divided by pretension. According to James the more success we have and the lower our expectations or pretensions then the higher our self-esteem. To raise self-esteem, therefore, we have two options: lower our expectations of ourselves or increase our achievements.This theorygives us and psychologists a better understanding on howpeople react to their thoughtsand perhaps to tackle depression and maintain self-esteem. Functionalism has taught us on how to get a better understanding of the functions of the mind and perhaps this theory could be useful for psychologists, counsellors and social workers who meet with suicidal or depressed clients.

Affirmative Action Essay -- essays research papers

The purpose of affirmative action is to ensure equal opportunity for minorities. But it has strayed from its original intent and has become largely a program to achieve not equal opportunity but equal results. It is a system of quotas forced upon American businesses and working class by the federal government. A law which forces people to look at race before looking at the individual cannot promote equal opportunity. Affirmative action continues the judgement of minorities by race; it causes reverse discrimination, and contradicts its purpose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action is not creating a colorblind society. In fact it continues the judgement of minorities according to race. Affirmative action forces employers and colleges to lower the standard for minorities. It also is demeaning to minorities who want to be judged by their actions, not their skin color.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When companies are hiring or promoting, or when a college decides which applicants to accept, many are unable to judge by merit alone. They are required by law to make race a deciding factor in their decisions in order to meet the mandated quotas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative action is also demeaning to most minorities. It makes them feel as though the government views them as having less ability than others. It also forces minorities to be compared to their own race instead of the overall population.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason why affirmat...

Informal Letter

Dear Sally, Thanks for writing such a long and funny letter. I always enjoy reading what you’ve been doing. I’ve recently been on holidays with my sister Anna. We were saving as much money as we could only for one reason: LONDON, the city of our dreams. We are absolutely fascinated by the city, it's really awesome! As you know, London is the capital city of England and it's on the River Thames. Anna and I stayed at a luxurious hotel called â€Å"London Marriot Hotel† very close to the city center. We tried to do as much things as we could, only in 5 days. We spend a fortune on the flight on the famous London Eye. In only 30 minutes we saw more that fifty London's most famous landmarks! After the flight, Anna and I went to watch Changing the Guard, which takes place inside the railings of Buckingham Palace. The Queen's Guard is always accompanied by a band and the ceremony lasts 45 minutes. It was really amazing! Also, we took some photos of the Houses of Parliament, of Big Ben and of Westminster Abbey. And we had a nice walk along the riverside. I was mesmerized by London by night. However, not all in Britain is so amazing. We've already noticed that Londoners are very busy people; they're in a hurry all the time. As for the food, I don't like English food. It's tasteless and very greasy. Fish & chips seem to be their national dish. But I must admit that I like English beer. Of course, we didn’t have enough time to visit all the places we wanted to. So I think that I must come back here next summer. Maybe you would go with me -what do you think? Write to me about it in your next letter. Best wishes, Vero Informal Letter Dear Sally, Thanks for writing such a long and funny letter. I always enjoy reading what you’ve been doing. I’ve recently been on holidays with my sister Anna. We were saving as much money as we could only for one reason: LONDON, the city of our dreams. We are absolutely fascinated by the city, it's really awesome! As you know, London is the capital city of England and it's on the River Thames. Anna and I stayed at a luxurious hotel called â€Å"London Marriot Hotel† very close to the city center. We tried to do as much things as we could, only in 5 days. We spend a fortune on the flight on the famous London Eye. In only 30 minutes we saw more that fifty London's most famous landmarks! After the flight, Anna and I went to watch Changing the Guard, which takes place inside the railings of Buckingham Palace. The Queen's Guard is always accompanied by a band and the ceremony lasts 45 minutes. It was really amazing! Also, we took some photos of the Houses of Parliament, of Big Ben and of Westminster Abbey. And we had a nice walk along the riverside. I was mesmerized by London by night. However, not all in Britain is so amazing. We've already noticed that Londoners are very busy people; they're in a hurry all the time. As for the food, I don't like English food. It's tasteless and very greasy. Fish & chips seem to be their national dish. But I must admit that I like English beer. Of course, we didn’t have enough time to visit all the places we wanted to. So I think that I must come back here next summer. Maybe you would go with me -what do you think? Write to me about it in your next letter. Best wishes, Vero

Short Story - 785 Words

â€Å"Hey Levi!† Hange called from down the hallway as she raised her arm to wave at the short raven haired Captain. She sprinted down the hallway after him, her assistant Moblit on her heels, trying to urge her to slow down, but was ignored. â€Å"What is it, Four Eyes?† Levi grumbled, standing on his tiptoes with his feather duster, swiping it around to try and wipe away a cobweb that was hanging from the ceiling above the door to Erwin’s quarters. â€Å"Can’t you see I’m busy?† Hange glanced up and nodded with a small hum, pushing her black glasses back into position. â€Å"I was wondering if you and Erwin wanted to come with us for some drinks later on tonight.† She beamed. â€Å"It’s a great way to let lose and get rid of some stress. You look like you†¦show more content†¦It didn’t help the fact that his head was aching as well. He wasn’t much of a drinker. Two or three drinks was his limit. Usually the alcohol didn’t bother him very much, but that night was an exception. He knew he would feel regretful in the morning. At the sound of a belch and a glass being slammed down, he glanced over at Hange. The woman’s cheeks were flushed red. â€Å"Mob, do you want more to drink? You don’t know what you’re missing~† she sang, a bright grin on her face. â€Å"No thank you, Hange. I’ve had enough,† Moblit replied as he continued to take in his leader’s appearance and behavior. She was almost the same, aside from being red and tipsy. â€Å"I think you’ve had enough to drink, though.† Hange hummed, grinning softly. â€Å"You think so? I feel fine, though,† she said, gradually moving off her chair. She tried to take a step toward Moblit but the room seemed to spin for a moment. Her tipsy movements caused her to stumble forward. â€Å"Hange, careful!† Moblit exclaimed, jumping from his chair to catch her, hands grasping her hips so she didn’t fall. Hange laughed and leaned into Moblit. â€Å"You’re so strong. How did you get like that?† she asked, her arms snaking around his waist. â€Å"A-Ah...u-um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Moblit searched for the words, his cheeks warming hotter than what the alcohol did to them. Hange just stared at him. The grin on her face slowly fading into a soft, gentle smile. She gazed into his light brown eyes. Her breathing was slow and calm. Moblit felt like heShow MoreRelatedshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. Four MajorRead MoreThe Short Stories Ideas For Writing A Short Story Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pageswriting a short story. Many a time, writers run out of these short story ideas upon exhausting their sources of short story ideas. If you are one of these writers, who have run out of short story ideas, and the deadline you have for coming up with a short story is running out, the short story writing prompts below will surely help you. Additionally, if you are being tormented by the blank Microsoft Word document staring at you because you are not able to come up with the best short story idea, youRead MoreShort Story1804 Words   |  8 PagesShort story: Definition and History. A  short story  like any other term does not have only one definition, it has many definitions, but all of them are similar in a general idea. According to The World Book Encyclopedia (1994, Vol. 12, L-354), â€Å"the short story is a short work of fiction that usually centers around a single incident. Because of its shorter length, the characters and situations are fewer and less complicated than those of a novel.† In the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s DictionaryRead MoreShort Stories648 Words   |  3 Pageswhat the title to the short story is. The short story theme I am going conduct on is â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ by James Thurber (1973). In this short story the literary elements being used is plot and symbols and the theme being full of distractions and disruption. The narrator is giving a third person point of view in sharing the thoughts of the characters. Walter Mitty the daydreamer is very humorous in the different plots of his dr ifting off. In the start of the story the plot, symbols,Read MoreShort Stories1125 Words   |  5 PagesThe themes of short stories are often relevant to real life? To what extent do you agree with this view? In the short stories â€Å"Miss Brill† and â€Å"Frau Brechenmacher attends a wedding† written by Katherine Mansfield, the themes which are relevant to real life in Miss Brill are isolation and appearance versus reality. Likewise Frau Brechenmacher suffers through isolation throughout the story and also male dominance is one of the major themes that are highlighted in the story. These themes areRead MoreShort Story and People1473 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Title: Story Of An Hour Author: Kate Chopin I. On The Elements / Literary Concepts The short story Story Of An Hour is all about the series of emotions that the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard showed to the readers. With the kind of plot of this short story, it actually refers to the moments that Mrs. Mallard knew that all this time, her husband was alive. For the symbol, I like the title of this short story because it actually symbolizes the time where Mrs. Mallard died with joy. And with thatRead MoreShort Story Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesA short story concentrates on creating a single dynamic effect and is limited in character and situation. It is a language of maximum yet economical effect. Every word must do a job, sometimes several jobs. Short stories are filled with numerous language and sound devices. These language and sound devices create a stronger image of the scenario or the characters within the text, which contribute to the overall pre-designed effect.As it is shown in the metaphor lipstick bleeding gently in CinnamonRead MoreRacism in the Short Stor ies1837 Words   |  7 PagesOften we read stories that tell stories of mixing the grouping may not always be what is legal or what people consider moral at the time. The things that you can learn from someone who is not like you is amazing if people took the time to consider this before judging someone the world as we know it would be a completely different place. The notion to overlook someone because they are not the same race, gender, creed, religion seems to be the way of the world for a long time. Racism is so prevalentRead MoreThe Idol Short Story1728 Words   |  7 PagesThe short stories â€Å"The Idol† by Adolfo Bioy Casares and â€Å"Axolotl† by Julio Cortà ¡zar address the notion of obsession, and the resulting harm that can come from it. Like all addictions, obsession makes one feel overwhelmed, as a single thought comes to continuously intruding our mind, causing the individual to not be able to ignore these thoughts. In â€Å"Axolotl†, the narr ator is drawn upon the axolotls at the Jardin des Plantes aquarium and his fascination towards the axolotls becomes an obsession. InRead MoreGothic Short Story1447 Words   |  6 Pages The End. In the short story, â€Å"Emma Barrett,† the reader follows a search party group searching for a missing girl named Emma deep in a forest in Oregon. The story follows through first person narration by a group member named Holden. This story would be considered a gothic short story because of its use of setting, theme, symbolism, and literary devices used to portray the horror of a missing six-year-old girl. Plot is the literal chronological development of the story, the sequence of events Short Story - 785 Words After Finals, I came back to Puerto Lago for the summer. You wouldnt think the place would have changed that much in a year, but it sure as hell felt like I was living in another country. Most of the guys I went to high school had moved on by then and the whole town seemed so fucking strange. I thought landing a job at one of the local factories would be cake; it wasnt. Several of them had closed their doors, so there werent that many openings. And though I had been the Shit in high school—started on the football team and we went to State twice—none of that really mattered to them. My high school days were over and I couldnt exactly run around showing my cock to people and expect it to land me a job. For three weeks, I lounged on†¦show more content†¦The pain was mild at first but started to spread as I pried my way into a pair of cut-offs. I stopped at the top of the stairs. Caught my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were a tinge red and the veins in my neck bulged—the slight after-effect of racking my balls. I ran my fingers through my hair and grinned. â€Å"Still got it.† I was nineteen at the time and football kept me ripped like a magazine ad. Six-two. A buck eighty with only four per cent body fat. Strawberry blond hair that I kept in a crew cut, sky blue eyes, and clear complexion. But my good looks and leftover popularity didnt seem to be doing much for me. I lumbered down the stairs to make sure the house was in good order. At the bottom of the stairs, I snagged a copy of the piece-of-shit local news rag. Worth a shot, I said. I turned to the jobs section. There were exactly three: â€Å"ESTABLISHED MEDICAL PRACTICE SEEKS RN.† Not qualified. Scooted my finger further down the column. â€Å"FINANCIAL FIRMS SEEKS SEASONED TAX PROFESSIONAL.† Not qualified. â€Å"YMCA SEEKS QUALIFIED SWIM INSTRUCTOR.† Not me. I grabbed my T-shirt from the edge of the couch, peeled it on and headed to the kitchen to catch up on the dishes. Loading the dish washer, I thought over the last advertisement. I mean I could swim. Not just the doggy paddle either. Real strokes. Its just a summer program, I said. How qualified of an instructor do they really need? A minor fib, as I saw it, took root in myShow MoreRelatedshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. Four MajorRead MoreThe Short Stories Ideas For Writing A Short Story Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pageswriting a short story. Many a time, writers run out of these short story ideas upon exhausting their sources of short story ideas. If you are one of these writers, who have run out of short story ideas, and the deadline you have for coming up with a short story is running out, the short story writing prompts below will surely help you. Additionally, if you are being tormented by the blank Microsoft Word document staring at you because you are not able to come up with the best short story idea, youRead MoreShort Story1804 Words   |  8 PagesShort story: Definition and History. A  short story  like any other term does not have only one definition, it has many definitions, but all of them are similar in a general idea. According to The World Book Encyclopedia (1994, Vol. 12, L-354), â€Å"the short story is a short work of fiction that usually centers around a single incident. Because of its shorter length, the characters and situations are fewer and less complicated than those of a novel.† In the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s DictionaryRead MoreShort Stories648 Words   |  3 Pageswhat the title to the short story is. The short story theme I am going conduct on is â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ by James Thurber (1973). In this short story the literary elements being used is plot and symbols and the theme being full of distractions and disruption. The narrator is giving a third person point of view in sharing the thoughts of the characters. Walter Mitty the daydreamer is very humorous in the different plots of his dr ifting off. In the start of the story the plot, symbols,Read MoreShort Stories1125 Words   |  5 PagesThe themes of short stories are often relevant to real life? To what extent do you agree with this view? In the short stories â€Å"Miss Brill† and â€Å"Frau Brechenmacher attends a wedding† written by Katherine Mansfield, the themes which are relevant to real life in Miss Brill are isolation and appearance versus reality. Likewise Frau Brechenmacher suffers through isolation throughout the story and also male dominance is one of the major themes that are highlighted in the story. These themes areRead MoreShort Story and People1473 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Title: Story Of An Hour Author: Kate Chopin I. On The Elements / Literary Concepts The short story Story Of An Hour is all about the series of emotions that the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard showed to the readers. With the kind of plot of this short story, it actually refers to the moments that Mrs. Mallard knew that all this time, her husband was alive. For the symbol, I like the title of this short story because it actually symbolizes the time where Mrs. Mallard died with joy. And with thatRead MoreShort Story Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesA short story concentrates on creating a single dynamic effect and is limited in character and situation. It is a language of maximum yet economical effect. Every word must do a job, sometimes several jobs. Short stories are filled with numerous language and sound devices. These language and sound devices create a stronger image of the scenario or the characters within the text, which contribute to the overall pre-designed effect.As it is shown in the metaphor lipstick bleeding gently in CinnamonRead MoreRacism in the Short Stor ies1837 Words   |  7 PagesOften we read stories that tell stories of mixing the grouping may not always be what is legal or what people consider moral at the time. The things that you can learn from someone who is not like you is amazing if people took the time to consider this before judging someone the world as we know it would be a completely different place. The notion to overlook someone because they are not the same race, gender, creed, religion seems to be the way of the world for a long time. Racism is so prevalentRead MoreThe Idol Short Story1728 Words   |  7 PagesThe short stories â€Å"The Idol† by Adolfo Bioy Casares and â€Å"Axolotl† by Julio Cortà ¡zar address the notion of obsession, and the resulting harm that can come from it. Like all addictions, obsession makes one feel overwhelmed, as a single thought comes to continuously intruding our mind, causing the individual to not be able to ignore these thoughts. In â€Å"Axolotl†, the narr ator is drawn upon the axolotls at the Jardin des Plantes aquarium and his fascination towards the axolotls becomes an obsession. InRead MoreGothic Short Story1447 Words   |  6 Pages The End. In the short story, â€Å"Emma Barrett,† the reader follows a search party group searching for a missing girl named Emma deep in a forest in Oregon. The story follows through first person narration by a group member named Holden. This story would be considered a gothic short story because of its use of setting, theme, symbolism, and literary devices used to portray the horror of a missing six-year-old girl. Plot is the literal chronological development of the story, the sequence of events