Final answer:
John B. Watson established the science of Behaviorism, focusing on observable behavior rather than internal mental processes.
His work, and that of B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning, positioned Behaviorism as a major psychological school of thought. Despite being overtaken by the Cognitive Revolution, Behaviorism's impact is still evident in various practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The science of Behaviorism was established by John B. Watson, who is often considered its father. Watson's approach to psychology emphasized the study of observable behavior over unobservable mental processes.
As a result, he laid down the foundation for Behaviorism, which became a dominant school of thought in psychology for several decades. Watson's work was further developed by B.F. Skinner, who introduced the principles of operant conditioning and reinforced the idea that observable behavior should be psychology's primary focus.
Behaviorism's objective methodology and use in behavioral therapies has significantly shaped the field of psychology and has applications in various areas such as education and therapy.
It leaned on the experimental findings of Ivan Pavlov's classical conditioning as well as Watson and Skinner's research on stimulus-response relationships.
Behavior modification techniques, frequently used in educational settings, are rooted in Behaviorism's principles. This approach provided a systematic and observable framework for understanding human and animal behavior, marking a move away from theories that relied on subjective interpretation of internal mental states.
The Cognitive Revolution eventually shifted the focus back towards mental processes, but the influence of Behaviorism remains noticeable to this day.