Functionalism

Functionalism is one of the earliest scientific approaches to Psychology (along with Introspection and Structuralism). It involves analyzing how the mind, like a stream of consciousness, adapts to changes in our environment.

Functionalism was developed by William James during the 19th century, in response to E. B. Titchener's Structuralism and its emphasis on mental structures. It was inspired from Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by means of natural selection. Essentially an extension of anatomical evolution to behavioral adaptation, it spearheaded the development of the evolutionary perspective in Psychology.

Like in Structuralism, psychological research in Functionalism, was limited to private conscious experiences, in contrast to the schools of psychology in the early 20th century.