The functionalist perspective rather than the structuralist perspective has dominated the study of mind throughout most of the history of psychology in America. This paper first discusses the theoretical and philosophical reasons for this domination. Then, by analyzing learning texts written over the last 27 years, it is shown that this functionalist emphasis has diminished in the last 10 years and that current treatments of learning and memory are starting to go back to a structuralist emphasis. The final section deals with some issues and problems of this current structuralist psychology and the obstacles it has to overcome if it is to be a persistent viable force within psychology.
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