Psychology grew through a series of schools of thought, each offering its own take on human behavior and mental processes. It started with structuralism and functionalism asking what consciousness is made of and what it does, then expanded into behaviourism, psychoanalysis, cognitive psychology, and humanistic psychology. Once you know these schools and their founders, the way modern theories developed starts to make a lot more sense.
The entrance exam loves founder-to-school matching questions, like Watson with behaviourism or Wundt with structuralism, so practice those pairs. Students often mix up structuralism and functionalism; here’s a way to remember it: structuralism asks about the "elements" of the mind, while functionalism asks about its "purpose", how the mind helps us adapt. Also be ready to contrast the deterministic views of psychoanalysis and behaviourism with the free-will focus of the humanistic approach.
Part of Basic Psychology, module “Introduction to Psychology”. Sign in (free) to read the full notes, flashcards and the lesson quiz.