John B. Watson, born on January 9, 1878, and passing away on September 25, 1958, stands as a pivotal figure in the history of psychology. This American psychologist is best known as the founder of behaviorism, a school of thought that revolutionized the field by emphasizing the objective study of observable behavior, rather than introspection and subjective experiences. His rigorous approach and groundbreaking theories significantly shaped the landscape of 20th-century psychology, particularly in the United States, where behaviorism became the dominant perspective during the 1920s and 1930s.
Watson’s academic journey culminated in a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Chicago in 1903. He subsequently taught at his alma mater before joining Johns Hopkins University in 1908 as a professor of psychology. At Johns Hopkins, he established a dedicated laboratory for comparative, or animal, psychology research, marking a commitment to empirical and experimental methodologies. His seminal article, “Psychology as a Behaviorist Views It,” published in 1913, is considered a landmark declaration of behaviorism. In this influential work, John B. Watson asserted that psychology should be defined as the science of behavior, focusing exclusively on observable actions and responses to environmental stimuli, mirroring the scientific study of animal behavior under controlled laboratory conditions.
In 1914, John B. Watson published his first major book, Behavior: An Introduction to Comparative Psychology. This work served as a powerful argument for the use of animal models in psychological research. He posited that instinct, rather than being an innate and mysterious force, was essentially a series of reflexes triggered by heredity. Furthermore, John B. Watson championed conditioned responses as the most effective experimental tool for understanding behavior. His commitment to studying infant behavior led to groundbreaking, albeit ethically controversial, experiments. The infamous “Little Albert” experiment, conducted in 1918, involved conditioning fear in an 11-month-old orphan to white rats and other furry objects, raising significant ethical concerns but profoundly impacting the field’s understanding of learned emotional responses.
John B. Watson further solidified his behaviorist stance in Psychology from the Standpoint of a Behaviorist (1919). This definitive work aimed to extend the principles and methods of comparative psychology to the study of human behavior. He strongly advocated for the use of conditioning techniques in psychological research, emphasizing the power of environmental factors in shaping human actions. However, his academic career took an unexpected turn in 1920. Following a highly publicized divorce, John B. Watson resigned from Johns Hopkins University and transitioned to the advertising industry in 1921.
Despite leaving academia, John B. Watson continued to influence psychology through his writings for a broader audience. His book Behaviorism, published in 1925, is credited with popularizing behaviorist ideas and attracting many individuals to the field of psychology. He further published Psychological Care of Infant and Child in 1928, and a revised edition of Behaviorism in 1930. After this period, John B. Watson dedicated himself entirely to his business career until his retirement in 1946. John B. Watson‘s legacy remains significant; he fundamentally shifted the direction of psychology, emphasizing objective, observable behavior and paving the way for future generations of behaviorally-oriented psychologists and therapies.
