What is Structuralism in Psychology? (Part 2)
By Kimberly Swanson, MS-Psy, CNA
How Does Structuralism Gives a Framework to Psychology
The
first thing that structuralism does is that it gives a framework to psychology. Titchener first identified the problems with
psychology which are (Schultz &
Schultz, 2012): 1. minimizing consciousness processing, 2. determining “laws” based on consciousness, 3. and
attaching “elements” to “physiological conditions”.
 |
| Titchener, known for developing structuralism for psychology |
In
1896, Titchener created a system of
identifying the “elements of sensation”
which was based on his studies and research (Schultz & Schultz,
2012). His system for elements of
sensation was published in An Outline of
Psychology. The elements of
sensation created a simplified framework for psychology by identifying “44,500
individualized sensation, 32,820 for
visual sensation, and 11,600 auditory sensation” (Schultz & Schultz,
2012).
Titchener’s
work brought more clarity to Wundtian theory of quality and intensity by
creating a framework for psychology. Bringing clarity to Wundt’s earlier work, further explained how to
gather “quality, intensity, duration, and clearness” to the conscious mind
(Schultz & Schultz, 2012).
Another contribution that structuralism has done for psychology was give guidance as
to how research and experiments are suppose to be conducted. Titchener developed the
concept of introspection. With
introspection, researchers are trained to be more detailed and accurate while recording and
documenting their data. During Titchener’s time, he adopted Kulpe’s method of producing scientific reports that are more detailed,
qualitative, and subjective (Schultz & Schultz, 2012).
Reference:
Schultz, D.P., &
Schultz, S.E. (2012). Philosophical influences on psychology (10th
Eds.), A History of Modern Psychology (pp. 65-86) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Press.
Updated 10/01/16
Updated 10/01/16
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