Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

When a clear strong voice was needed: A retrospective review of Watson's (1924/1930) behaviorism.

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior·2014

Same author

Adaptation level effects in discrimination of flicker frequency.

Behavioural processes·2004

Same journal

An Internal and Critical Review of the PEAK Relational Training System for Children with Autism and Related Intellectual Disabilities: 2014-2017.

The Behavior analyst·2020

Same journal

Self-Control Based on Soft Commitment.

The Behavior analyst·2020

Same journal

Behavioral Pragmatism: Making A Place for Reality and Truth.

The Behavior analyst·2020

Same journal

The Challenges of Integrating Behavioral and Neural Data: Bridging and Breaking Boundaries Across Levels of Analysis.

The Behavior analyst·2020

Same journal

Automating Scoring of Delay Discounting for the 21- and 27-Item Monetary Choice Questionnaires.

The Behavior analyst·2020

Same journal

The Future of Behavior Analysis: Foxes and Hedgehogs Revisited.

The Behavior analyst·2020

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Large-scale Recording of Neurons by Movable Silicon Probes in Behaving Rodents

Large-scale Recording of Neurons by Movable Silicon Probes in Behaving Rodents

Published on: March 4, 2012

Did John B. Watson Really "Found" Behaviorism?

John C Malone¹

¹Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0900 USA.

The Behavior Analyst

|June 9, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Behavioral psychology

Keywords:

Alexander Bain Behaviorism Edward L. Thorndike History John B. Watson Sigmund S. Freud William B. Carpenter

More Related Videos

Development of a Benchtop Model for Evaluating the Compatibility of Wound Dressing Materials with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Systems

Development of a Benchtop Model for Evaluating the Compatibility of Wound Dressing Materials with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Systems

Published on: May 2, 2025

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Published on: June 13, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Large-scale Recording of Neurons by Movable Silicon Probes in Behaving Rodents

Large-scale Recording of Neurons by Movable Silicon Probes in Behaving Rodents

Published on: March 4, 2012

Development of a Benchtop Model for Evaluating the Compatibility of Wound Dressing Materials with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Systems

Development of a Benchtop Model for Evaluating the Compatibility of Wound Dressing Materials with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Systems

Published on: May 2, 2025

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Evidence-based Knowledge Synthesis and Hypothesis Validation: Navigating Biomedical Knowledge Bases via Explainable AI and Agentic Systems

Published on: June 13, 2025

Area of Science:

Psychology
History of Psychology

Background:

The decline of introspective psychology paved the way for behavioral psychology.
Key figures like William Carpenter, Alexander Bain, and early Sigmund Freud held views compatible with behaviorism.
Edward Thorndike promoted objective psychology but was not a strict behaviorist.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the historical development and origins of behavioral psychology.
To clarify the role of John B. Watson in the rise of behaviorism.
To evaluate claims regarding the founding of behaviorism.

Main Methods:

Historical analysis of psychological thought and writings.
Examination of the contributions of key figures in psychology.
Review of scientific literature and philosophical underpinnings of behaviorism.

Main Results:

Behaviorism's roots predate John B. Watson's 1913 advocacy.
Watson was a crucial promoter of a natural science approach to psychology, not its founder.
Many earlier thinkers contributed to behaviorist theory and practice.

Conclusions:

Behaviorism emerged from a confluence of factors and thinkers, not a single founder.
Watson's significance lies in his forceful advocacy and popularization of behaviorism.
The historical narrative of behaviorism requires a nuanced understanding of its intellectual lineage.