Final answer:
John B. Watson is the founder of behaviorist theory, with B. F. Skinner also being a key contributor in exploring the effects of reinforcement and punishment on behavior. Behaviorism has significantly influenced both psychological therapy and educational methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
Founder of Behaviorist Theory
The founder of behaviorist theory is John B. Watson, who is often heralded as the father of behaviorism within psychology. Watson's influence was pivotal in shaping the trajectory of psychology by advocating for a shift away from introspection and towards the study of observable behavior. This emphasis on the external behavior of individuals in their environments marked a significant departure from the psychological focus on internal mental states that characterized the work of other theorists.
Behaviorism gained notoriety as it cemented psychology as a scientific discipline through rigorous empirical methods, particularly experimentation. Not only has behaviorism left a lasting legacy on therapeutic approaches, such as behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy, but it has also played an instrumental role in educational strategies through behavior modification techniques.
B. F. Skinner, another towering figure in behaviorism, contributed greatly to our understanding of how consequences shape behavior through the concepts of reinforcement and punishment, exploring these ideas in detail with his creation of the operant conditioning chamber also popularly known as the Skinner box.