Background Information
John B. Watson was born in 1878 in South Carolina to a deeply religious mother and an alcoholic father. Struggling after divorce, Watson’s mother moved from a rural area to give him a better education (Malone, 2017). Despite poor academic performance at school and disciplinary issues, Watson entered the University of Chicago and obtained a degree in psychology (Malone, 2017). His college experience determined the path of the future career, when he encountered Ivan Pavlov’s work in classical conditioning. In 1913, ten years later, after receiving his Ph.D., Watson published his first paper, introducing the idea of behaviorism as a new theory in psychology (Malone, 2017). Over the next 14 years of research work in the university, he codified and publicized a number of theories, explaining human behavior from the behaviorist point of view. Watson died in 1958 in New York from natural causes.
Major Research
Watson’s major research was in behaviorism, a field of psychology focused on the observable, recorded, and measured actions of humans and animals. Unlike his predecessor Freud, Watson disregarded the concept of unconscious and its role in determining behavior due to the inability to be observed and evaluated objectively (Malone, 2017). In his research, the psychologist emphasized that introspection and subjective interpretation is unscientific and should not be applied to the theories of human development (Malone, 2017). Watson also emphasized the nature of psychology as a science, wherein empirical data received through systematic observation is the key component of interpretation. Such assumption about the discipline shifted the perspective from theory to practice.
Best known for applying his theory of behaviorism to child development, Watson stressed the significance of the environment in shaping the kid’s behavior over inherited qualities. He suggested that a healthy child who is properly trained can acquire sets of skills in any field, becoming a professional regardless of the inborn predispositions (Malone, 2017). Watson’s most famous experiment, the “Little Albert,” showed that fear in infants can be conditioned and later generalized within the controlled environment.
Theories
One of Watson’s theories regarding child development is called the “blank state” theory. The psychologist believed in the existence of tabula rasa, meaning that humans are born without any inherited qualities and acquire characteristics within the environment they live in (Malone, 2017). While ignoring innate aspects, he stressed the environmental factors, claiming that children learn through classical or operant conditioning. Another theory developed by Watson suggested that child development is closely associated with learning (Malone, 2017). In his comparative studies, the behaviorist found correlation between animal and human learning, both of whom learn behaviors through imitation.
Other Interesting Information
Apart from human development, Watson was also interested in the conditioning of emotions. The psychologist suggested that there are three basic emotional reactions learned shortly after birth: love, rage, and fear (Malone, 2017). First, for infants, love is an automatic response for being hugged, stroked, or patted (Malone, 2017). This emotion is observable through laughter and smile after affection. Second, rage is a response for being constrained or limited in motion (Malone, 2017). When prohibited to do something, the child starts screaming and stiffening the body. Third, fear is a natural reaction to a loss of support and a sudden noise (Malone, 2017). Similarly to the aforementioned emotional reactions, fear is observed through rapid breathing or crying.
Tell Why You Think the Theory Came to Be
In my opinion, Watson’s theory became so successful for the three following reasons. First, it was a pioneering idea, including original prepositions that went in contrast with the existing beliefs. Second, it revolutionized the perception of human development, turning attention to measurable, observable, and recorded patterns of behavior. Third, unlike proponents of genetic makeup as dominant factor in the formation of personality, Watson claimed that every human-being has an equal chance of being successful and happy if raised in a nurturing environment.
Reference
Malone, J. C. (2017). John B. Watson. In J. Vonk & T. K. Shakelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior, 1-9.