Describe Watson’s views on instinct and thought processes.
Originally Watson acknowledged the part of instincts for behavior. In the book by him, he demonstrated eleven instincts, involving one handling with behaviors which were random. He studies behavior of instincts in different species of aquatic bird and terns in islands off the coast of Florida.
By the year of 1925, Watson amended his position and eradicated the approach of instinct en masse. He contended that behaviors which appear instinctive are actually social responses of condition.
By accepting the view of conditioning or learning is the basic in understanding all development of human, Watson turned into an intense environmentalist and then he moved further. Not just he contradicted instincts, he denied accepting the system inheriting any temperaments, talents or capacities of any type.
Behaviors which appeared inherited were drawn to initial training in childhood. For instance, he contended that children did not born with capability of being great musicians or athletes, however, were inclined to that direction by caregivers or parents who inspired and reinforced such behaviors.
Emphasis on astounding nourishing effect of the social and parental environment was considered to be the reason for phenomenal popularity of Watson. He consummated, optimistically and simply, that children can be trained to anything one wants them to become. There were no constraints foisted by genetic aspects.