How Did John B Watson Contribute To Psychology

John B. Watson was an american psychologist who studied behavioralism and conditioning in the early 20th century. He is credited with the creation of Behaviorism, which is now a very prominent branch of psychology ("John Watson"). Watson is well known for his various published works and experiments. Watson achieved many things in his lifetime, most noticeably a gold medal from the American Psychological Association for his contributions to Psychology (Weiland). He overcame many personal issues in his life, which led him to be a better psychologist. His many contributions to psychology helped to shape what it is today. Watson died in 1958 at the age of 80 after living through a long life of hardships.

Watson was born on January 9th, 1878, in

Fearing he would be fired due to the growing rumors he left Chicago and pursued different jobs. Later that year, he decided to move his family to Maryland further his career at John Hopkins University. There, he would the chairman for the psychology department until 1920 (Weiland). It was at John Hopkins University where Watson did some of his most influential work, like the Little Albert experiment. Unfortunately, Watson yet again was forced to leave his place of work due to familial conflict. Watson yet again was adulterous, but this time it wasn’t just a rumor. He had cheated on Mary with Rosalie Rayner, his lab assistant, whom he was at the time teaching. He later divorced Mary to marry Rosalie, whom he eventually had two children with. After the scandal broke that he had been sleeping with a student, he was quietly asked by the University to resign from his position of chairman for the psychology department (Cherry). After being forced to leave academia he chose to quit teaching altogether. He worked in an advertising agency until he retired in 1945. Even though he decided to quit teaching psychology, his interest for the topic was still there. He published several works about behaviorism until his eventual death in 1958.

Watson achieved

After Rayner died at the age of 35 in 1935, he took up drinking. He only left the house for work. For all intents and purposes he became a recluse. Most, if not all, of his interpersonal relationships deteriorated to the point of being almost non-existent. He seemed to completely give up when his son committed suicide in 1954. Watson died four years later at the age of 80. After his son died he burned all of his unpublished works in a fit of rage. By the time that Watson died he had become to so similar to his father that it was uncanny. Watson died an adulterous alcoholic who in the end threw away his life 's work. He had tried to hard in his early life to take a different path than his father, but in the end it didn’t matter. Although Watson did some questionable things throughout his career, he is still known as one of psychology 's most influential