Structuralists tended to ask, "What are the pieces that make up thinking and experience?" In contrast, __________ tended to ask, "How do behavior and mental processes help people adapt to the requirements of their lives?"

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Functionalists were interested in how behavior and mental processes helped individuals adapt to their environment. They focused on the function or purpose of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors rather than just the structure or components of them. Cognitive psychologists, on the other hand, did focus on the components of thinking and experience, while behaviorists primarily looked at observable behaviors without concern for internal mental processes. Psychoanalysts focused on the unconscious mind and how past experiences and conflicts influence current behavior.

Structuralists Tended to Ask, "What Are the Pieces That Make