Question

summarize Watson's continued attack on introspection when he discusses application versus research in psychology

Answer 1

Introspection is looking within us, our mental conditions, and examines our own process of thinking, which is looking insight into our own actions.

Wilhelm Wundt who is called the father of psychologist defined psychology as the workings of the mind in a more structured way (structuralism) because the conscious mind can be studied scientifically. His aim was to study the human mind through introspection that is practiced form of self-examination.

Psychologists like William James focused on how the mind works and developed the theory of functionalism.

John B. Watson is a psychologist from America he developed the theory of behaviorism, according to him the child learns from his environment, and the genetic has a little role to play in shaping his behavior.

Unlike Freud's theory that the unconscious mind is behind all the behavior, he argued that our behavior is developed by environment and experience and this can be observed and scientifically studied. This observable behavior can be studied for human behavior. He rejected the unconscious mind theory because it is not observable and cannot be studied scientifically; the dreams that are the introspection by the patient are subjectively interpreted is an unscientific method. Thus he refuted the idea of introspection as it cannot study and verify the concept of mind.

He proved his theory of behaviorism by little Albert experiment where the child's behavior was developed by showing him various objects and making a loud clinging sound. The child who was at ease with these objects developed a phobia and at the sight of these objects, he would start crying.

Thus he proved that the children developed their behavior depending upon their circumstances and experience this behavior are observable and can be studied scientifically. It can be controlled and altered in a way that can be beneficial to society.