John Watson's famous quote

The "a dozen babies" famous quote

Watson's penchant for exaggeration undermined his scientific research. One of his most famous statements is his boast that he can take any 12 human babies and use behavioral technology to create any type of person he wants ("beggars and thieves"). Of course, he acknowledges that this assertion goes well beyond methods and data—but others have made similar hyperbole about the power of heredity over behavior for thousands of years:

“Give me a dozen sound Babies, bring them into my unique world, and I can guarantee that one of them will be randomly selected and trained to become any type of character I choose - doctor, lawyer, artist, businessman, or beggar or thief, it doesn't matter. Considering his talents, inclinations, abilities, ancestral occupations and races, I admit that this is beyond the truth, but those who claim the contrary have been exaggerating it for thousands of years"

The last sentence is usually dismissed. The omission makes Watson appear more radical than he actually is. In fact, Watson did conduct extensive "ethology" research on animal instinctive behavior in the early days, especially seabirds. However, Watson was firmly on the side of nurture in the nature vs. nurture debate.

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