Who is credited with developing stimulus-response theory in psychology?

John B. Watson is credited with developing stimulus-response theory, which forms a foundational component of behaviorism in psychology. Watson’s approach emphasized the study of observable behaviors and the responses to stimuli in the environment, rather than introspection or the internal mental state. He believed that all behaviors could be understood as responses to specific stimuli, and through this lens, he argued that behavior could be shaped and conditioned.

While B.F. Skinner expanded on these ideas with his work on operant conditioning, and Ivan Pavlov is known for his classical conditioning experiments, Watson's emphasis on stimulus-response provides the theoretical groundwork for behaviorism. This framework has had significant implications for fields ranging from psychology to education and animal training, making Watson's contribution particularly noteworthy in the development of behavioral theories.