By the 1930’s Behaviorism was being called a “major intellectual revolution”. The successful creation of Behaviorism was largely because of John B. Watson’s ability to promote and defend this new school of psychology. There were two sides to society’s acceptance or distain for Behaviorism. One was of optimism in Watson’s outlook for the future and the other was the inherently cynical portion of Behaviorism, its rigidity. This conflict reflected the culture which was at odds. “Sociology of knowledge…how and in what form intellectual life at a given historical moment is related to the existing social and political forces” (Buckley, p. x, 1989). That quote from Karl Mannheim so clearly illustrates how the formulation of behaviorism by Watson …show more content…
His theory was reflective of the majority American society. Watson’s early academic and societal accomplishments were the foundation of Behaviorism and it becoming a valid part of psychology. Watson helped to legitimize efficiency as the standard for behavior in all parts of people’s lives. Watson’s involvement in advertising, publishing, and writing self-help books aided to promote Behaviorism and allow Watson to have a prominent career. As a scientist and educator he was a major contributor to the evolution of society. The war gave an opportunity for behaviorism to continue establishing its dominance and practicality within society. The assumption that psychology’s future lay in Behaviorism was crystalized in the structure that he created during and after the war. The practical nature and controlled environment Behaviorism created helped people feel safe during a period of change and …show more content…
He was very critical of Watson’s theories on child care. Dell had written a book called Love in the Machine Age that had opposing views on child care. Even though he was able to cite many studies that specified withholding affection gave way to lasting social and emotional destruction for the child it was not enough. Dell was outshined by Watson with his superior showmanship and much larger group of supporters. Watson had a range of talents that few other psychologists had. An arena Watson was not prepared to step in was the battle against Freud and Psychoanalysis. Although Watson did agree with Freud’s approach in some areas claiming that they “contain within themselves the means of tremendously furthering medical practice, psychology, and legal procedure” (Buckley, p.158) he also was highly critical of the notion of the unconscious. For as many negative reviews Watson wrote about Freudian psychology it continued to progress just as Behaviorism did. Finally Watson had met his intellectual match and both found their respective niches as popularizers of