Behaviorism is a theory of learning and a psychological approach that focuses on observable behaviors rather than internal mental states like thoughts and emotions. It posits that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning, which occurs via interaction with the environment. Behaviorists argue that behavior can be studied in a systematic and objective manner by examining stimulus-response relationships, without reference to unobservable mental processes
. Key points about behaviorism include:
- It emphasizes learning through conditioning: classical conditioning (associating a neutral stimulus with a reflex) and operant conditioning (learning through rewards and punishments)
- It was formally established by John B. Watson in 1913, who believed that with the right environmental conditioning, any person could be trained to perform any task within their physical limits
- B.F. Skinner expanded behaviorism into radical behaviorism, which also considers internal states like thoughts and feelings as behaviors subject to the same principles as observable actions
- Behaviorism rejects introspection and focuses solely on measurable, observable behavior, making psychology more scientific and objective
- It has practical applications in education, therapy, animal training, and behavior modification
In summary, behaviorism views behavior as a product of environmental conditioning and insists on studying only observable behaviors to understand and predict human and animal actions
