What was the main focus of structuralism as a psychological approach?

Structuralism is primarily concerned with understanding the components of the human mind and how these basic elements combine to form complex thoughts and experiences. Founded by Wilhelm Wundt and further developed by Edward Titchener, structuralism aimed to break down mental processes into their most basic parts, much like how a chemist would analyze the elements that make up compounds.

By utilizing methods such as introspection—where individuals would reflect on their own conscious experiences in a controlled setting—structuralists were able to categorize different mental phenomena. This analysis of mental structures allowed them to explore how sensory experiences, emotions, and thoughts are related to one another. The emphasis was on describing the structure of conscious experience, rather than focusing on the functions of thoughts or the influence of social and environmental factors, which characteristic approaches like functionalism and behaviorism would later address. Thus, the focus on mental structures sets structuralism apart in the landscape of psychological theories.