It is the appearance that can be explored, and when it is possible to study, behavior can be controlled. Wasson decides to explore fear - assuming that fear is a major emotion. He tries by choosing a neutral stimulus and a stimulus variable. Works mainly with children - chooses an animal / rabbit / variable is the behavior of the child. Examines how neutral irritant under certain conditions can cause even fear.
Watson reveals in his research that a neutral stimulus can become the cause of a strong emotional experience permanently embedded in the behavior of the individual. Regardless of the age of the child when fear is built, this fear is transformed into phobia, the phobia is interpreted as a disease. For Watson, the only way to overcome fears is to build emotion with opposite emotion / reverse emotion. It turns out that traditional ways to deal with fear / clauses, explanations, demonstration of positive emotion / by another person are ineffective. That's why Watson decides to choose a non-traditional way - the animal caused by the fear is presented to the child in a calm state when given a delicious meal - the experimenter reduces the distance between the child and the animal, and finally the child interested in what happens can take the animal in his hand.
Strong emotions present in the behavior of older people, even phobias, arise in childhood as a result of conditional-reflective connections between an irritant and an affective. Conditional-reflective relationships are lasting - without the involvement of an emotional experience, not only is it memorized, but it can pass as an attitude in the individual. Watson sets out these views in the book "Psychology from a Behavioral Viewpoint" - 1919. In 1920, Watson interrupted his scientific career for personal reasons. In 1925, he published a book "Behaviorism" and read lectures, but did not deal with scientific work. It is trying to create and create a program for the reorganization of society in accordance with the laws of BiH. He is convinced that not only individual behaviors but also a group of people can be controlled by controlling the irritants that are brought to them.
Real Watson denies both the role of heredity and the role of personal attitudes, beliefs, interests, the whole diversity of consciousness that defines human behavior, but believes in the universality of education. Thus he denies in addition to the innate qualities, also the versatility of man's inner life. At first glance, he assumes that by controlling the individual or the group, socially acceptable behavior can be built (it seems tempting). But the danger in this view lies in the interpretation of behavior only from a series of motor acts, it is considered too cluttered and it excludes motivational factors. Actually, the Behaviors come close to the idea of machine-driven behavior, driven by the desire for ultimate objective analysis. This idea in a socially practical way becomes devastating. Watson is convinced that by controlling the stimulus, behavior can be controlled, because control over the reactions is created.