I. Topic: Schools of Psychology

II. Purpose: To help students understand better the distinction among the various schools of psychology.

III. Description: Classroom Activity.

One way to make classroom discussion of the schools of psychology come alive is to ask several students to volunteer to read this section of the introductory chapter especially closely the night before class and come to class prepared to "act out" how key figures from each school might interpret particular issues, ideas, or problems.

IV. Procedure:

1. Have each of 7 students read the section of the introductory chapter of your text that covers the following schools: structuralism, functionalism, behaviorism, psychodynamic, Gestalt, humanistic, and cognitive.
   
   
2. At the same time, assign specific students to play the role of specific spokespersons from each of the schools (i.e., William James, James Watson, and so on) in a class discussion during a subsequent class meeting.
   
   
3. Provide these students a description of some issue or problem that you would like them to address from the point of view of the specific school each is representing. You could have them address an almost infinite variety of issues and problems, but here are 3 suggestions to give you some ideas. Give them the description in advance so that they will have time to think it through from their particular perspective.
   
   
   • The experience of seeing a red ball and learning to identify or name the ball by its color.
   • What motivates some students to do well in school and why other students are not motivated?
   • How to break a habit, such as nail biting or cigarette smoking.
   
   
4. Give each student 1-2 minute for his or her remarks. You may ask the class to pose these students questions to deepen the discussion.