Mary Cover Jones Flashcards, test questions and answers
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What is Mary Cover Jones?
Mary Cover Jones was an American psychologist best known for her pioneering work in behaviorism. She was one of the first female psychologists and is credited with designing the first scientific experiment involving behavior modification. Her research on rats demonstrated how conditioned learning could modify habits and behaviors, which laid the groundwork for modern-day cognitive-behavioral therapy.Born in 1895, Mary Cover Jones was raised in a large family with four siblings. She had a very close relationship with her father who was an influential figure in her life and encouraged her to pursue higher education. She eventually attended Radcliffe College where she studied psychology and philosophy before receiving her PhD from Harvard University in 1924.During this time, Mary Cover Jones worked closely with renowned behaviorist John Watson who had been exploring ways to use classical conditioning techniques to modify human behavior. With his guidance, Mary conducted an experiment involving a young boy named Peter whose fear of rabbits had been preventing him from participating in normal activities such as playing outside or going on trips to the zoo. Using classical conditioning, Mary slowly exposed Peter to rabbits over time while providing rewards for showing signs of being comfortable around them until he eventually lost his fear and could interact normally with them. This successful experiment demonstrated how learned responses can be used to modify behaviors and provided key insights into cognitive-behavioral therapy that is still used today by mental health professionals around the world. In addition to this groundbreaking work, Mary Cover Jones wrote several books about child development which further established her as an important figure in the history of psychology and behaviorism today.