Final answer:
Watson and Skinner argued for psychology to be recognized as a science, focusing on observable behavior and its conditions, which led to the development of behaviorism. They moved away from subjective aspects of mental processes, positioning psychology alongside other natural sciences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Watson and Skinner dedicated a lot of time and energy to arguing for the study of human behavior to be considered a science. One of the most influential schools of thought within psychology's history was behaviorism. John Watson, often considered the father of behaviorism, and B. F. Skinner, known for his work on operant conditioning, were central figures in advocating for psychology to be an empirical and objective science rather than being seen as a part of philosophy or a belief system like religion. Their approach was to focus on observable behaviors and the conditions under which these behaviors occur, shifting the field's attention away from unobservable mental processes, which they considered subjective.
Before behaviorism's influence, explorations of the mind were generally within the philosophical domain. However, with the emergence of behaviorism, the objective analysis of behavior became a key focus, essentially proposing that psychology align itself with other natural sciences. Psychology had already been established as an independent academic discipline by Wilhelm Wundt and William James in the 19th century, distancing itself from philosophy to a more scientific approach in studying the mind and behavior.