AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Inspired by evolutionary theory, James’s theoretical perspective on psychology came to be known as functionalism, which sought causal relationships between internal states and external behaviors. In 1890 James published a highly influential, two-volume synthesis and summary of psychology, Principles of Psychology.

Detailed explanation-2: -James proposed we instead focus on what he called the “cash value, ” or usefulness, of an idea. According to functionalism, mental activity (e.g. perception, memory, feeling) is to be evaluated in terms of how it serves the organism in adapting to its environment.

Detailed explanation-3: -History. The origins of functionalism are traced back to William James, the renowned American psychologist of the late 19th century. James was heavily influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution, and was critical of the structural approach to psychology that had dominated the field since its inception.

Detailed explanation-4: -Theory of emotion. James is one of the two namesakes of the James–Lange theory of emotion, which he formulated independently of Carl Lange in the 1880s. The theory holds that emotion is the mind’s perception of physiological conditions that result from some stimulus.

Detailed explanation-5: -William James was a psychologist and philosopher who had a major influence on the development of psychology in the United States. Among his many accomplishments, he was the first to teach a psychology course in the U.S. and is often referred to as the father of American psychology.