Suppose you were a graduate student studying for a Ph.D. in psychology in the 1920s. Your advisor was strongly influenced by John B. Watson. Which of the following might your advisor consider an acceptable choice for your research?
A) a survey of daydreams
B) an analysis of how specific behaviors are acquired
C) a survey of sexual imagery in dreams of men and women
D) an analysis of the thought processes students report while answering test items

Question

Suppose you were a graduate student studying for a Ph.D. in psychology in the 1920s. Your advisor was strongly influenced by John B. Watson. Which of the following might your advisor consider an acceptable choice for your research?
A) a survey of daydreams
B) an analysis of how specific behaviors are acquired 
C) a survey of sexual imagery in dreams of men and women
D) an analysis of the thought processes students report while answering test items

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

John B. Watson was a behaviorist and believed that behavior could be systematically studied and influenced through conditioning. Therefore, an analysis of how specific behaviors are acquired would align with his beliefs and be an acceptable choice for research. The other options, including surveys of thoughts and dreams, would not necessarily fit within the behaviorist approach.

Suppose You Were a Graduate Student Studying for a Ph