In what ways did Titchener and Dewey contribute to the founding of functional psychology? Why was there no single form of functionalism as there was a single structuralism?
The school of functionalism began, ironically after Titchener mentioned it. Unlike structuralism, functionalism was not a rigid school of thought. Unlike structuralism, which had a single ideology, functionalism lacked the single ideology. It existed with multiple functions. Further, these functionalists developed an interest in the application of psychology on real life issues.
Titchener while protecting structuralism, gave the nameless opponent a name. He called the ideas opposing him Functionalism. So basically, Titchener introduced the term functionalism to his opponents.
The reflex arc concept by Dewey was the opening shot of the functionalist movement. Dewey had said that conscious experience could not be broken down into elements. He was out rightly rejecting the core of structuralism. He proposed that every stimulus ended with a response.
Dewey said that when a child touches a hot object, he or she immediately withdraws their hand. It forms more of a circle rather than an arc because after the experience the child will view that object with a new experience. Initially, the hot object attracts the kid, but after feeling hot, the child will now change its perception about that object.
Dewey said that ultimately the subject matter of psychology was not in the elements instead, it is embedded in the total response an organism gives to a stimulus. He also said that the reflexive behavior given cannot be reduced to simple elements.