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Intro

Behaviourism is the study of human behavior and how they interact, react, and adapt to their environment, which then reinforces and shapes their behavior. Behaviourism is a concept that was developed by J.B Watson in 1913. Behaviourism began as a function of the so-called "Behaviourist Manifesto".

Origins

J. B. Watson first wrote the Behaviourist Manifesto an academic paper called Psychology As The Behaviourist Views It. It introduced the new concept of Behaviourism to the academic community in 1913. He proposed that “the behaviour of man and the behaviour of animals must be considered on the same plane; as being equally essential to a general understanding of behaviour”. Once the paper gained popularity and the concept was accepted and began being applied to the psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis, the academic paper became a manifesto. This occurs frequently within academic works in which they start off as a collection of thoughts and become a piece that gathers a following. This is why it can be considered an example of the manifesto genre.

Content Analysis

At the time of its release in 1913, and for decades after, the content of Watson’s work was vastly dismissed by those in the psychology and scientific communities. His work held a great focus on the behaviours of people and animals in relation to their environments. The article contains a few primary concepts. First, anything in the environment that could elicit a response is considered a “means to an end”. These responses are seen in the form of behaviours or emotions in a person or animal. This premise connects to one of the other primary points made by Watson in the "Behaviourist Manifesto" , and that is that “man and animal alike, do adjust themselves to their environment”. The manifesto clearly emphasizes the importance of the human, and animal, ability to act in accordance to the environmental stimuli surrounding them. According to Watson and his theory, the behaviours of both animals and humans were to be looked at in the same way. Though at the time the content of his work was disregarded, the theories discussed within Watson’s manifesto would one day lead to an acknowledgement of the importance of his work.

Response to Behaviorist Manifesto

The Behaviourist Manifesto was the foundation from which much debate, conflict, and new lines of inquiry regarding the study of outward, measurable, behaviours was derived. Though at the time of its creation, and beyond, its impact was limited and was measured by a lack of direct reference to the document itself. Throughout the past century, the evidence of its practical impact in a variety of fields has become more evident. Presently, behaviourism is applied in many fields from law and business to education and in this sense the original manifesto is still relevant today.

“The Behaviorist Manifesto” as a Genre Example

John B. Watson’s 1913 essay Psychology as the Behavorist View it is “widely known as the “behaviorist manifesto” that initiated behaviorism as a discipline and academic field of study”. Both the post World War I context out of which the essay was born, a time which saw an increase in the “visib[ility] and popular[ity of the eugenics movement] in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Latin America”, and Watson’s own personal ideology,“"crusading spirit” and “campaigning style”” , all helped to propel the essay and Watson’s “rather extreme version of behaviorism” in to the fore of critical Psychological discourse and ultimately, into general practice.  Watson’s essay successfully “confront[ed]...established practices in order to open up new spaces for oppositional praxis” , which a manifesto is intended to do, and provided a “rebuttal to the views pushed by the eugenics movement.” , a “political movement masquerading as science” which sought to preserve “superior” genes and eradicate “inferior” genes from the human gene stock based on alleged scientific data which deemed some (predominantly racialized groups) inherently, or genetically, “feeble-minded”. Watson believed strongly in the “great potential to improve society through application of empirically-derived principles of behaviour” and while “these ideas may not have been startling original,...they were stated with startling flair”. This points to one of the gestural, rhetorical features of the manifesto-genre, which is heightened dramatic presentation intended to engross the audience’s attention and exhibit the reader’s passion or outrage for the topic. “At a time when science and anything scientific seemed to win automatic approval”, Watson believed “that behaviourism [could] promote social harmony in a world being transformed by industrialization and the movement of peoples across the globe”. These are the primary features which make Watson’s essay an example of the manifesto genre.

Resurgence of Behaviorism

Behaviourism has become increasingly popular since Watson developed this concept. “The science of behaviour that has evolved out of his work is the application of philosophical rules to discover knowledge. The application of the science of behaviour has fallen under the headings of behaviour therapy, behaviour modification, and behaviour analysis to name just a scant few”. As Watson’s idea sparked further interest, research was conducted and showed how Watson’s work could create a treatment plan to help those with behavioural issues. The popularity of behaviourism increased even more in the 1970’s when Skinner applied this information on pigeons, and showed how a person could modify behaviour. Since then, people have been able to use behaviour modification and create a field of study known today as Applied Behaviour Analysis, which is now globally known, used, and is still advancing, thanks to Watson manifesto.