• Expand the post below by suggesting another contribution of John B. Watson to applied psychology.
• Suggest another reason applied psychology evolved out of experimental psychology.

Discussion post: I chose John B. Watson as my theorist because he played a significant role in behaviorism. He is also remembered for his extensive research on the conditioning process. He conducted what is now known as the "Little Albert" experiment, demonstrating that a child could be conditioned to fear a previously neutral stimulus (Cherry, 2023). Watson's contribution to applied psychology is primarily centered around setting the stage for behaviorism, which later rose to dominate psychology. Many of its concepts are principles are still utilized in the field today. He viewed psychology as a purely objective experimental branch of natural science and believed that introspection was no essential part of its methods, nor did it have any scientific value (Cherry, 2023). Watson influenced other theorists, such as B.F Skinner and other behaviorists, who contributed significantly to applied psychology.

Several factors influenced the evolution of applied psychology from experimental psychology. However, one main characteristic is that research in psychology requires practical applications (Benjamin, 2019). Applied psychology uses psychological methods and findings (experimental psychology) to solve problems that humans experience (McCumber, 2021). Experimental psychology seeks to explore and better understand behavior through empirical research methods, allowing findings to be employed (applied psychology) in real-world applications across various fields of psychology (McCumber, 2021). There was also a demand for evidence-based practices in applied psychology as it grew and broke off into multiple practices. Empirical research and scientific evidence became crucial to provide appropriate treatment plans and intervention strategies (Benjamin, 2019).