Which statement best describes the core assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

Which statement best describes the core assumptions of the behaviourist approach?

• A. It studies observable behaviour only and holds that all behaviour is learned through conditioning, using animal and human research, with controlled laboratory experiments.
• B. It emphasizes innate drives and unconscious conflicts shaping behaviour.
• C. It posits that learning occurs solely through insight and internal cognitive processes.
• D. It focuses on the genetic basis of behaviour and evolutionary adaptations.

Answer: (A)

Behaviourism treats psychology as the study of observable behaviour and holds that all behaviour is learned through conditioning. It emphasizes that responses are shaped by their environmental consequences and by stimulus–response associations, using both classical and operant conditioning as mechanisms. Because mental states like thoughts and feelings aren’t directly observable, behaviourists focus on measurable data gathered in controlled laboratory settings, often with both animals and humans to explore fundamental learning processes. This combination—observing behaviour, learning through conditioning, and testing under controlled conditions across species—best matches what the statement describes. Other approaches highlight internal mental processes or biological bases for behaviour, rather than conditioning alone, which is why they don’t fit as well.

Behaviourism treats psychology as the study of observable behaviour and holds that all behaviour is learned through conditioning. It emphasizes that responses are shaped by their environmental consequences and by stimulus–response associations, using both classical and operant conditioning as mechanisms. Because mental states like thoughts and feelings aren’t directly observable, behaviourists focus on measurable data gathered in controlled laboratory settings, often with both animals and humans to explore fundamental learning processes. This combination—observing behaviour, learning through conditioning, and testing under controlled conditions across species—best matches what the statement describes. Other approaches highlight internal mental processes or biological bases for behaviour, rather than conditioning alone, which is why they don’t fit as well.