Why are children stubborn? Why do some people became addicted to alcohol or gambling? How do can you help an abused child? All of these are difficult question that the field of psychology is trying to answer. Today, most of psychologists have a comprehensive outlook on psychology. They often draw on ideas and theories from different schools rather than holding to any singular outlook. There are also many misconceptions created by television and movies. That's why, there are some major thoughts that could help us to understand more what Psychology is. 

Structuralism- this is the first school of Psychology. It focused on the most inner part of the human brain. It also analyze the inner processes of the human brain. According to my research, this study of Psychology is defined as the study of the elements of consciousness. The idea is that the conscious experience can be broken down into basic conscious elements. There's a belief that this study has a connection between sensation and emotion and behavior. 

Functionalism- this is a theory of a mind in contemporary philosophy. The idea of this study is that the human brain is much like a computer, which is designed to carry out specific functions. It expanded the scope of psychology to include research on emotions and observable behavior.  

Psychoanalysis- created by Sigmund Freud. This school emphasizes the influence of the unconscious mind on behavior. Freud believes that the human mind was composed of three elements: The id, the ego and the superego. The id is composed of primal urges, while the ego is the component of personality charged dealing with the reality. The superego is the part of personality that holds all of the ideals and values we internalize from our parents and culture. 

Gestalt-  this is the school of psychology based upon the idea that we experience things as unified whole. "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts", based on what I've read, this phrase is often used when explaining a gestalt theory. Gestalt psychology was in part an attempt to add a humanistic dimension to what was considered a sterile approach to the scientific study of mental life. 

Behaviorism- behaviorism suggests that all behavior can be explained by environmental causes rather than by internal forces. It focuses on observable behavior. 


All of the above are schools of psychology. Which has its followers and critics. Differentiation among these schools makes anyone capable of understanding human mind.