AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -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-2: -Wundt viewed psychology as a scientific study of conscious experience, and he believed that the goal of psychology was to identify components of consciousness and how those components combined to result in our conscious experience.

Detailed explanation-3: -Wilhelm Wundt’s investigations of consciousness, begun in 1879, were central to the development of psychology as a field of study.

Detailed explanation-4: -Functionalism is a theory about the nature of mental states. According to functionalists, mental states are identified by what they do rather than by what they are made of. Functionalism is the most familiar or “received” view among philosophers of mind and cognitive science.