Galton believed that intelligence is inherited and that people should be able to see patterns of higher intelligence passed down throughout families. The differences between each person should be measured and classified. Galton figured that in order to produce smarter off spring, it was best that reproduction happen between more intelligent people and to discourage less intelligent people to mate, stating selective breading was the best method (Hergenhahn, 2013). Since eugenics was already intertwined throughout culture, and selective breeding had taken place between animals naturally, Galton’s pairing of intelligible couples deemed a fit for society, in his mind. In psychology today we know that nature vs. nurture is important on how a human’s personality and traits are formed. In order to live a healthy life, one must be happy and proud of the person they are with. Forcing couples to marry and procreate to produce smart offspring could lead to the parents being unhealthy in other mental aspects. Not all less intelligible people will produce unqualified children.
Darwin believed in individual differences and had an influence on psychology by proving that behavior, was just as important to study as the mind was. By changing how we view human nature, there became large influences on other areas such as developmental psychology and animal psychology. Functionalism and behaviorism schools started developing and making a stance in psychology. A strength in Darwin’s theory is the survival of the fittest. If one is equipped enough to thrive in its surroundings, it will eventually become extinct. Animals must adapt to its habitat and natural selection will occur over time through mutation (Hergenhahn, 2013). A weakness in Darwin’s theory is that genetics was never involved with evolution or natural selection. We cannot just simply eliminate part of our genes which are hereditary in order to adapt. Physically, natural selection is not part of a human.
Structuralism and Act psychology are different in that Brentano believed it was more important to understand what the mind actually did instead of what it was made of. The mental process such as judging, loving and hatred, are acts outside of itself (Hergenhahn, 2013). Structuralism focuses on what the product of a humans mental actions are. Psychology is more of an experience than an experiment. A similarity between the two is that mental elements must contain sensations, images and affections. Structuralism did not last for very long because Wundt and Titchener’s philosophies were not including many new developments such as abnormal behavior and basic elements of human consciousness (Hergenhahn, 2013). After Titchener died, structuralism fell apart. In order to have a positive effect on development you needed to incorporate a person’s personality and the differences in the human mind. Structuralism’s failure also came from introspection, it was very unreliable and was quickly thought of as retrospection.
Hergenhahn, B. R., Henley, T. (02/2013). An Introduction to the History of Psychology. [VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved fromhttps://digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu/#/books/9781285821078/
