Document Type

Book Chapter

Publication Date

4-25-2025

Keywords

adolescence, American psychologist, animal behaviors, behavioral research, behaviorism (environmental interaction approach), career, childhood, doctoral dissertation, external environment, Furman University, interactions, January 9 1878, John B. Watson, Johns Hopkins University, master’s degree, Ph.D. in psychology, poor academic performance, professorship, psychologist, rebellious adolescent years, South Carolina, University of Chicago

Disciplines

Developmental Psychology

Abstract

John B. Watson (1878 – 1958) was an influential American psychologist credited with advancing behaviorism, a psychological approach that considers all behavior to be a result of interactions with the external environment. Watson was born in South Carolina on January 9, 1878, where he lived throughout his childhood. Despite his rebellious adolescent years and poor academic performance, he graduated with a master’s degree from Furman University in South Carolina at the age of 21. He earned a Ph.D. in psychology in 1903 from the University of Chicago, where he studied animal behaviors for his doctoral dissertation. In 1908, Watson accepted a professorship at Johns Hopkins University and commenced a career dedicated to behavioral research.

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