Watson is best known for taking his theory of behaviourism and applying it to which population?

Watson is best known for taking his theory of behaviorism and applying it to child development. He believed that children were born as blank slates and that their behavior was shaped by their environment and experiences. He developed a number of techniques to condition children's behavior, including classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

One of Watson's most famous experiments was the Little Albert experiment. In this experiment, Watson and his assistant, Rosalie Rayner, conditioned a young boy to be afraid of white rats. They did this by pairing the rats with a loud noise that frightened the boy. Over time, the boy learned to fear the rats even when the noise was not present.

Watson's work on child development was controversial, but it had a significant impact on the field of psychology. His theories helped to shift the focus of psychology away from the internal mind and towards observable behavior.

The ways that Watson's theory of behaviorism was applied to child development

• Toilet training: Watson believed that toilet training could be accomplished through classical conditioning. He recommended that parents pair the sound of their child urinating with a loud noise or a splash of cold water. This would condition the child to associate urinating with an unpleasant experience, which would motivate them to use the toilet.

• Tantrums: Watson believed that tantrums could be extinguished through operant conditioning. He recommended that parents ignore their child's tantrums and only give them attention when they are behaving calmly. This would teach the child that tantrums were not an effective way to get attention.

• Phobias: Watson believed that phobias could be treated through exposure therapy. He recommended that parents gradually expose their children to the object or situation that they were afraid of. Over time, the child would learn that the object or situation was not dangerous and their fear would subside.

Watson's work on child development has been criticized for being unethical and for ignoring the importance of emotions and relationships in child development. However, his work also had a positive impact on the field of psychology by helping to shift the focus towards observable behavior.