What was the main goal of Edward Bradford Titchener's structuralism?

The main goal of Edward Bradford Titchener's structuralism was to reduce the mind into component structures. Titchener, a student of Wilhelm Wundt, aimed to analyze the structure of the human mind by breaking it down into its most basic elements, similar to how a chemist analyzes compounds into individual substances. He believed that by using introspection, trained individuals could report their conscious experiences, allowing researchers to study the basic elements of thought, sensation, and perception.

This method of exploration was fundamental in establishing psychology as a scientific discipline. Titchener and his followers sought to identify the components of consciousness and how they combined to form the complex experiences individuals have, which marked a shift from philosophical speculation about the mind to a more empirical and analytical approach. This focus on the elemental structures of the mind was a cornerstone of structuralism and emphasized the importance of understanding mental processes in their most fundamental forms.