Describe the basic tenets of Watson’s behaviorism and show how they differed from the positions of Wundt and Titchener.
1913 carried an intentional break of both the positions along with the war. A movement of protest started which was meant to damage the previous viewpoints. Its head did not want any modifications of the previous works. This movement of revolution was known as behaviorism, promoted by Watson.
The tenets which were basic, of behaviorism by Watson were bold, simple and direct. He asked for a psychology which was scientific dealing with only observable acts of behavior which could be demonstrated objectively in words like “response” and “stimuli”.
Psychology of Watson jilted all terms and concepts of mind. Words like, “consciousness”, ‘image”, “mind” and “sensation” that had been brought along from the days of philosophy of mind – were senseless for the subject of behavior, as Watson was bothered.
Watson was specifically ardent in denying the consciousness concept. He accepted that there was no value for consciousness on the psychology of behavior. He also proposed that consciousness included “moved, never seen before, tasted, touched or smelled. It was considered as simply an assumption which was unprovable.
Thus, introspection, that assumed the presence of processes of consciousness was not relevant and was of no advantage to the behavioral science.