John B. Watson, Founder of
Behaviorism
Learn about this
famous
psychologist and
his theories
Kirby Randolph
2005
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his unpublished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
Behaviorism
•
•
•
•
Study of human behavior
Observe then make predictions
Behaviorists manipulate people
Behaviorism is different than
Christian beliefs
• Emotions don’t affect behavior
• They think 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
• Didn’t like using
humans in tests
• Started testing
with rats
About Me
•
My name is Kirby favorite
bands are My Chemical
Romance, AFI, Fall Out
Boy, blink-182, Rancid,
Taking Back Sunday,
Slipknot, Motley Crue,
Alkaline Trio, The Clash,
NoFX, Dropkick Murphys,
Foo Fighters, Senses Fail
and more. I am 13 and I
like football and rugby
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/171101.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/behaviori
sm.html