Podcast
Questions and Answers
What did John B. Watson attempt to do with psychology?
What did John B. Watson attempt to do with psychology?
- Discard the study of consciousness
- Focus solely on observable behaviour
- Redefine the essence of psychology (correct)
- Propose a new school of thought
What is the main idea behind behaviourism?
What is the main idea behind behaviourism?
- Only observable behaviour should be studied (correct)
- Introspection is necessary for scientific research
- Internal mental events can be studied scientifically
- The environment controls behaviour
Who supported the earlier beliefs of Watson's focus on observable behaviour?
Who supported the earlier beliefs of Watson's focus on observable behaviour?
- John B) Watson
- B)F Skinner (correct)
- Darwinian evolutionary theory
- Schools of thought
Study Notes
- John B. Watson founded behaviourism in the early 1900s, which is an approach to psychology based on the premise that only observable behaviour should be scientifically investigated.
- Behaviourism was met with criticism because it disregarded the importance of introspection by other schools of thought.
- Watson's ideas were termed radical behaviourism because he proposed that psychologists discard the study of consciousness and focus solely on behaviours that could be directly observed.
- The implications of Watson's theory on how psychology was viewed at the time were colossal. He attempted to redefine the essence of psychology as a science.
- B.F Skinner supported the earlier beliefs of Watson's focus on observable behaviour. Though he didn't deny the existence of internal mental events, he insisted they could not be studied scientifically.
- Skinner's analysis of behaviour was reflective of Darwinian evolutionary theory. He believed that the environment controls behaviour, not the person.
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Description
Test your knowledge of behaviourism in psychology with this quiz covering the founding principles of behaviourism by John B. Watson and the contributions of B.F. Skinner. Learn about the approach's focus on observable and measurable behavior and its impact on the field of psychology.