Psychology MCAT Practice Exam 2025 – Complete All-in-One Guide to Ensure Your Success!

Behaviorism is the psychological approach that focuses on observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes. It emerged in the early 20th century as a reaction against introspective methods that emphasized mental states and thoughts. Behaviorists, such as John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, argued that psychology should study only those phenomena that can be observed and measured. They believed that behaviors can be conditioned through interactions with the environment, hence emphasizing the importance of external stimuli in shaping behavior.

This approach involves concepts like reinforcement and punishment, and it often relies on experimental methods to observe and quantify behaviors. In behavioral therapy, for example, techniques are designed to directly modify specific behaviors rather than delve into internal thoughts or feelings. Behaviorism has had a significant impact on various fields, including education, therapy, and even marketing, through its principles of behavior modification.

In contrast, humanistic psychology emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization, cognitive psychology investigates mental processes like thinking and memory, and psychodynamic theory focuses on unconscious motives and conflicts. These approaches all consider internal processes to varying degrees, distinguishing them from the behaviorist focus on observable actions.