John B.

Watson,
Founder of Behaviorism

Childhood
Born January 9 1878 in
Greenville, SC
Was the fourth of six
children
Father left family
Arrested twice
Was aggressive and
violent until after his
arrest

Education
Introduced to psychology at
Furman
Went to Johns Hopkins
Taught at Chicago and Johns
Hopkins
Became associate professor
at Johns Hopkins

Working

Became president of APA

Studied mental illness
Published many books
worked near animal
researchers
Editor of Psychological
Review

Books
In 1913 published
Behaviorism Manifesto
In 1914 published
Behavior: An Introduction
to Comparative
Psychology
In 1919 published the
most important book of
his career, Psychology
from the Standpoint of a
Behaviorist

Books
In 1924 he published
Behaviorism
Published The
Psychological Care of
Infant and Child in 1928
In 1958 he burnt all his
unpublished works

Behavioris
m

Study of human behavior

Observe then make predictions
Behaviorists manipulate people
Emotions dont affect behavior
Everything we do is
inevitable
Behavior is relationships between stimuli
and responses

Presuppositions of
Behaviorism
Man has no soul or mind
Behavior is a product of
conditioning
We do not consciously act
We are not responsible for
our actions
Learning is getting new
behavior

Tests
Testing methods unethical
Put dogs in puzzle boxes
Little Albert was most
famous test
Made Albert afraid of rats
Didnt like using humans
in tests
Started testing with rats

Criticism of Classical
Behaviorism

Criticism of Methodological Behaviourism:

Watsonian Behaviourism was Methodologically incomplete (Mc Dougall,
1929)
Cannot study sensation & perception as it denies mental aspects
(Woodworth, 1948)
Study of after images through verbal reports is a kind of defeat of
methodological behaviourism (Woodworth, 1948).
A Muscle Twitch Psychology which fails to take into account the
purposive behaviour (Tolman, 1932)
A reductionist psychology that fails to take into account the whole picture
(Gestalt Psychologists)

Criticismcontinued
Criticism of Watsons Experimental Ethics
Experimental ethics was Watsons visionary plan to lay
foundation of a saner living based on behaviouristic
principles (Watson, 1925)
It was based on the premises like mechanism,
determinism, etc., that totally denies the agency of free
will and says that all acts are physically determined in
advance.
Critics say that such view will promote unlawful
activities like criminality, war

Criticismcontinued
Criticism of Metaphysical Behaviourism
The crowning absurditymind is such an obvious
thing of which fools may as sure as wise men (Angell,
1913)
Watsons planned divorce between psychology and
metaphysics is responsible for alienation of
behaviouristic psychology (Hunter, 1924)
Will I be angry only kymograph tells me my blood
pressure? (Heidbreder, 1933)

Bibliography
Johnston, Joni (2000). The Complete Idiots Guide to Psychology.
Indianapolis: Alpha Books
The Story of John Watson, Founder of Behaviorism. as.Clayton.edu/mccarty/PSYC3540/web%20Links/watson.html
JohnBroadusWatson.psy.rin.ru/eng/article/171-101.html
Green,Christopher.Introduction to Psychology as the Behaviorist
Views it.psyclassics.yorku.ca/watson/intro.htm
vygotsky.sfasu.edu/courses/psy503/Watson.html
DeMar, Gary. Behaviorism.
Forerunner.com.com/forerunner/XO497_DeMar__Behaviorism.html, 1988

Bibliography
Phillips, D. C. and Soltis, Jones. Behaviorism.
Funderstanding.com/behaviorism.cfm.1998-2005
Kentridge, R. Operant Conditioning and Behaviorism- and historic
outline. Biozentrum.uniwuerzburg.de/genetics/behavior/learning/behaviorism.html

References

John Watson. (n.d.). PBS: A Science Odyssey. Retrieved from

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhwats.html
Plucker, Jonathan A. (2003). John Broadus Watson. Encyclopedia of
Education. Retrieved from
http://www.gale.cengage.com/InContext/bio.htm
Rilling, M. (2000). How the challenge of explaining learning
influenced the origins and development of John B. Watson's
behaviorism. The American Journal of Psychology, 113(2), 275-301.
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