PSY502 Lecture 19

Behaviorism

Founder: John B. Watson (1878–1958)

Q1. Who was J.B. Watson?

J.B. Watson was an American psychologist who started the school of psychology called Behaviorism. He believed psychology should study what people and animals do (behavior) instead of what they feel or think inside their mind.

📘 Key Terms

Behaviorism – A school of psychology that studies only observable behavior (things we can see and measure).

• Observable – Something that can be seen or measured directly.
• Consciousness – Awareness of thoughts, feelings, and experiences inside the mind.

Before Watson, psychologists focused on consciousness using a method called introspection (looking inside your own mind and reporting thoughts). Watson said, " No. That is too subjective. We cannot see thoughts. We can only see actions." So he changed psychology from: 👉 “Study of the mind” to 👉 “Study of behavior”

🌱 Example

Old psychology: " How do you feel when you see a dog?" Watson’s psychology: " What does the person do when they see a dog? Do they run? Smile? Freeze?"

2. Watson’s Big Idea: Psychology = Science of Behavior

Watson defined psychology as the scientific study of behavior, not the study of the mind or consciousness.

📘 Key Terms

Scientific – Based on experiments, measurement, and evidence.

• Objective – Not based on opinion or feelings. Based on facts.

Watson wanted psychology to be like physics or chemistry - factual, testable, and measurable. He said: ❌ Don’t study thoughts (we can’t see them). ✅ Study actions (we can see and measure them).

🌱 Example

Instead of asking: " What do you think about exams?" Watson would observe:

• How much you study
• How you react to failure
• How your behavior changes after feedback

3. Rejecting Introspection

✔️ Answer

Watson rejected introspection as a method because it is not scientific.

📘 Key Terms

Introspection – Looking into your own mind and describing your thoughts and feelings.

• Method – A way of collecting data.

If I say: "I feel sad today" You cannot verify it. But if you say: "I am crying, not talking, sitting alone" That is observable and scientific. So Watson said: 👉 Psychology should not use introspection. But he allowed: ✔️ Verbal reports after experiments.

🌱 Example

After an experiment, Watson might ask: " What did you feel during the task?" But the main data still came from behavior, not feelings.

4. Stimulus – Response (S-R)

Behavior is explained using stimulus and response patterns.

📘 Key Terms

Stimulus (S) – Something that happens to you.

• Response (R) – What you do because of it.