AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -James and the other members of the functionalist school (Figure 1.5) were influenced by Charles Darwin’s (1809-1882) theory of natural selection, which proposed that the physical characteristics of animals and humans evolved because they were useful, or functional.

Detailed explanation-2: -Functionalism is the study of how th mind functions and how the organism uses it in the environment. Darwin influences functionalism by saying an organism adapt to their environment to survive as the physical characteristics of animals and humans evolved because they are helpful and functional.

Detailed explanation-3: -Charles Darwin had a major influence on the idea of functionalism. His theory of evolution by natural selection was the key component of sparking functionalism. Functionalism was an idea brought to the United States created in opposition of structuralism.

Detailed explanation-4: -In response to structuralism, an American perspective known as functionalism emerged from thinkers such as the evolutionist Charles Darwin and William James.

Detailed explanation-5: -Functional psychology or functionalism refers to a psychological school of thought that was a direct outgrowth of Darwinian thinking which focuses attention on the utility and purpose of behavior that has been modified over years of human existence.