Discus the importance of the Psychoanalytic and Behaviourist Schools of thought.

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Discus the importance of the Psychoanalytic and Behaviourist Schools of thought.

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Behaviourism was considered to be founded by Watson in the early1900's. Watson as a psychologist looked at other methods of psychological research examples such as the method of introspection developed by Wundt. Watson looked at structuralism and functionalism and felt that the results were not accurate as they only applied to a single person and were not applicable as general theories. Watson had strong beliefs that psychological research should only take place if there was physical evidence to back up the theory. The Russian psychologist Pavlov who was mainly known for his work with dogs influenced Watson.
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Watson was the first person to use humans in scientific psychological experiments. Watson decided to study the mind and behaviour of babies as they are considered closest to animals in their reactions making it easier to carry out experiments on what was considered "a bundle of reflex actions". Watson's theory stated the beliefs that the findings from experiments on animals and babies were not only true and accurate but they could also set trends that would explain aspects of the more complex adult personality.

Through Watson's experiments on babies he found that conditioning could take place in ...

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