John Broadus Watson (January 9, 1878 – September 25, 1958) was an American psychologist who popularized the scientific theory of behaviorism, establishing it as a psychological school.

John B. Watson is known as the father of behaviorism within psychology. John B. Watson (1878–1958) was an influential American psychologist whose most famous work occurred during the early 20th century at Johns Hopkins University.

Founded by John B. Watson in the early 20th century, behaviorism emphasizes the importance of understanding the influence of the environment on individuals' actions. This approach rejects the notion of analyzing emotions, thoughts, or consciousness, instead focusing solely on what can be directly observed and measured.

What was Watson's theory? John Broadus Watson pioneered the behaviorist subdiscipline of psychology. Watson's theory was that the behaviors of humans and other organisms is what should be focused on in psychology rather than internal processes, such as thoughts and feelings.