The Development of Behavioral Psychology

The human mind and the way humans behave have been primary topics of study amongst historians for many years. Studies have been conducted in different professional areas to gain knowledge and understanding of humans, in an attempt to control behavior. The study of human behavior is known as behavioral psychology or behaviorism. The goal of early behaviorists and functionalists was to bring about a more reliable psychology. The behaviorists believed they would achieve this goal by excluding introspection and focus on the study of behaviorism. This evolution was achieved with help from the zeitgeist, behaviorist, and organizational psychology. This paper will discuss J.R. Angell and his prediction of the shift in psychology from introspection to behaviorism, the persons and idea’s helped to carry out the shift, how the zeitgeist supported the shift, and how the development of industrial psychology played its part in the shift.

On what did Angell base his opinion?

J. R. Angell was a psychologist and educator, who studied under John Dewey and William James. Angell worked as a psychology instructor at the University of Minnesota. It was at this university that Angell formed a psychology department in 1905 (Schultz and Schultz, 2012, p.294). Schultz and Schultz (2008) wrote:

J.R. Angell at the University of Chicago, perhaps the most progressive of the functional psychologists, predicted that American psychology was ready for greater objectivity. In 1910, he commented that it seemed possible that the term consciousness would disappear from psychology, much as the term soul had disappeared. (p. 293)

Behaviorism, which contended to end structuralism without compromise, was underway when Angell made his 2008 statement. J.R. Angell is su...

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...or individuals.

Conclusion

Psychology has grown from the founding of behaviorism. Many individuals and ideas played a big part in setting the atmosphere for behaviorism to be widely accepted. Zeitgeist of that time period had also contributed to the acceptance of behaviorism. Therefore, when Watson came on the scene, it was not difficult for his ideas to be accepted. Even organizational psychology had its role by showing one can apply techniques in every aspect to bring change.

Works Cited

Buckley, K. W. (1989). Mechanical Man: John Broadus Watson and the Beginnings of

Behaviorism. New York: The Guilford press

Goss, A. E. (1961). Early behaviorism and verbal mediating responses. American psychologist,

16(6), 285-298.

Schultz, D.P. & Schultz, S. E. (2012). A history of modern psychology, (10th Ed.) Belmont, CA:

Wadsworth, Cengage Learning