John B. Watson 's Theory Of Psychology

According to the famous “Rats maze” experiment, Watson began by challenging the underlying assumption of instinct (Berntson and Cacioppo, 2000). Watson and Morgan (1917) are considered to be

James Watson was born in Chicago Illinois, on April 6, 1928. During his early years, James attended Horace Mann Grammar School, and later on to South Shore High School before earning himself a scholarship to the University of Chicago at just age 15. (Watson, James Biography 4) Watson is 89 years of age and is still living in his home state of Illinois, and is happily married to his wife Elizabeth, who together, are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary (Cash, Nelson 2)

Watson believed that psychology had failed to become a natural science, due to the focus on consciousness which he thought of as very unscientific and subjective. He believed that theories should be supported by careful scientific study of observable behaviour through laboratory studies.

Watson’s theory was based on the ideas of classical conditioning of Ivan Pavlov who used animals for research and believed that they could be taught anything by watching and copying others. Watson further developed the theory applying it on people’s behaviour, based on the conditioning and training of behaviour and on the belief that anyone could be taught anything as we are all born with the same abilities, disregarding feelings and emotions.

William James (1842-1910), James McKeen Cattell (1860-1944), Lightner Witmer (1867-1956), and John B. Watson (1878-1958) were major contributors to the study psychology at this time. James was a pioneer to the development of functional psychology, following the work of Wilhem Wundt (Schultz & Schultz, 2012, p. 131). Cattell was known for his mental tests that were used to measure mental capabilities and intelligence (Schultz & Schultz, 2012, p. 166). These mental test developed into IQ tests determining the intelligence of a person going into the army or being qualified for a job. Witmer began clinical psychology. He developed diagnostic and treatment approaches as they were needed for treating children with hyperactivity, learning disabilities, and poor speech and motor development because he was the first one to do it (Schultz &Schultz, 2012, p. 175). There were no examples for him to follow to see what is wrong or right way to address the needs. Also, Watson became a powerhouse in field of psychology. He had major influences in behaviorism. He provided stern guidelines for child rearing stating that parents should never “hug and kiss them, never let them sit on your lap” (Schultz & Schultz, 2012, p.

A.John Broadus Watson, was describe as a gifted child, but was a vexatious student. John became an atheists even though his mother subjected him to harsh religions training. He was married twice and had 4 children, he often focused most of his behaviorism studies on his children. After his second wife passed his relationship with his children dwindled and he became a recluse. B. John was an American psychologist who established the psychology school of behaviorism.

Another behavioural psychologist, Watson (1915) was influenced by Pavlov’s dogs’ (1902). Watson suggested that if reflexes can be conditioned in dogs, then they can be conditioned in human behaviour too (Gross 2010). Watson used Pavlov’s idea of classical conditioning to influence his experiment with Little Albert, where Watson successfully conditioned fear into an 8-month-old boy using a range of different stimuli.

“Why don’t we make what can be observed the real field of psychology” (Watson, 1929). Watson (1878-1958) was born into a poor family in South Carolina. His mother was a religious woman, and his father drank a lot and had multiple affairs (Watson, 1999). Watson himself married twice, having two children in each marriage. He didn’t seem to have good relationships with his children – it is said that one of the main reasons for this may be because he used his children throughout his research. He studied in the University of Chicago where he later became known as the founder of Behaviourism. He wrote an essay in 1914 titled “Psychology as the Behaviourist views it” where he stated that behaviourism is an objective experimental branch of natural science (Watson, 1914). Behaviourism is a theory of learning that argues that all behaviours are acquired through conditioning (Carver & Scheier, 2012). Behaviourists believe

Theorist John Broadus Watson (1913) was the first behaviourist to coin the ideas around behaviourism. He used contiguity to explain ideas and said that practice could strengthen ones learning. His approach to behaviourism was very parsimonious, using only a strict few simples to explain a variety of phenomena, e.g. ‘The Little Albert’ experiment’. The idea round the experiment was that by pairing a white rat (CS) with a loud bang (UCS) one could induce fear (UCR) which is known as classical conditioning. With these observable events Watson’s was able to influence many theorists and their contributions to behaviourism.

John B. Watson (1878-1958) was one of Angell’s most promising students at the University of Chicago. Watson (1913) eventually became founder of the behaviorist school of psychology. He carried out the trend of Angell’s theoretical prediction in early behaviorism and became the first American

John Watson pioneered a new approach to viewing psychology. By making known an underutilized approach to studying psychology, John Watson opened a whole new door to researching how and why people behave the way they do. John Broadus Watson left a huge impression on the world of psychology with his new and unconventional approach of behaviorism and his Little Watson experiment.

Psychologists have been focused on observing and understanding human behavior for centuries, dating back to the Greek philosophers when psychology and philosophy were considered one.Today, Psychology is the study of human behavior, beginning before birth and lasting until death. It is clear that the observance human behavior is a vast and profound source of data for psychologists. Early philosophers relied on methods of observation and logic. A physiologist named Wilhelm Wundt in the 1800’s began using scientific research methods in his study of mental processes. However, the situation was totally different in the beginning of 20th century when psychology still struggled to be regarded as a separate discipline with practical value(Mastering,2011). Psychologists had only begun to be accepted as a science. It was John B. Watson who established the school of Behaviorism and inspired many other psychologists to study patterns of human behavior and their mechanisms. Watson 's contribution to psychology is important not to underestimate; he studied animal and human behavior to come up with a methodology that would give Psychology a respected status among other scientific disciplines. This essay will focus on the biography and works of John B. Watson with a purpose to show why his works are important for Psychology today(Hergenhahn & Henley, 2013).

What is Watson’s Classical Conditioning? Classical Conditioning was found by Dr. Ivan Pavlov. Watson’s research was influenced by Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning Theory. Watson made a research on children’s emotions using the Classical Conditioning model. According to Watson, love, fear, and anger are the three kinds of emotions inherited by humans (Hall 1988). He believed these emotions could be learned through conditioning. He formed his hypothesis and carried out an experiment. John B. Watson’s classical condition experiment was on a child named Little Albert. This experiment was while a child was playing with a rabbit, smashing two bars to make a loud noise behind the child’s head. After hearing the loud noise the child

In Spite of Watson. Most Rogers’s achievements can be seen as a result of Watson’s “negative” view on psychology. After observation had been established, Carl Rogers decided to take a more optimistic approach,

Behaviorism is one of seven schools of thought. Behaviorists focus on observable actions rather than the internal aspects of individuals, such as thoughts and emotions. Ultimately, behavior is a response to the surrounding environmental stimuli. Behaviorists have established many basic principles that are still critical to understanding human behavior today.