Question

What are the central concerns of the structuralist and functionalist approaches?

Answer 1

ANSWER :

The Structuralist approach is the study of the structure of the human mind and behaviour, whereas the Functionalist approach studies how they function and interact with the enviornment.

Some of the central concerns of structuralist and functionalist approaches are as follows :

1. CENTRAL CONCERNS OF STRUCTURALIST APPROACH

• The central concern of this approach is to analyze the human mind and focus on the basic units present within it by introspecting various inner feelings, sensations etc.
• This approach is based on subjectivity and due to the lack of objective measures, the accuracy of this approach is limited.
• The major concern of this approach was to understand and analyze the basic structural componenets using mind and behaviour.
• The structuralist approach influenced the development of experimental psychology and it was a theoretical approach that mainly was conerned with the introspections.
• In all the structuralist approach argued that the basic units of the human mind and behaviour can be identified and analyzed through intospection.

2. CENTRAL CONCERNS OF FUNCTIONALIST APPROACH

• The central concern of the functionalist approach is to understand the ways in which people adapt their environment effectively using their consciousness.
• The functionalist approach is concerned on how the mind and behaviour focuses on an organism's interaction with the environment.
• The functionalist approach proposes that studying the functions and roles of human mind and behaviour is more effective than studying its structure because consciousness does not have a basic structure.
• The accuracy of this approach is boundless as this theory is based on the objective measures of human behaviour unlike structuralist approach.
• The functionalist approach also influenced the development of behaviourism and it was a practical approach that focused on the objective aspects.
• In all, the functionalist approach suggested that it is important to study the major aspects of human mind and behaviour in terms of function.