Behaviouristic Psychology is a term used to describe a branch of psychology that focuses on the observation and analysis of human behavior. The word is spelled with the British English spelling of "Behaviour" rather than the American English spelling of "Behavior". The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is /bɪˌheɪvjəˈrɪstɪk saɪˈkɒlədʒi/. The stress is on the second syllable of "Behaviouristic" followed by a short "i" sound and ending with an "stic" sound. The stress is then on the first and third syllables of "Psychology".
Behaviouristic psychology, also known as behaviorism, is a school of thought within psychology that focuses on studying observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes. It emerged as a reaction to the introspective methods of early psychology, which relied heavily on self-reported thoughts and feelings. Behaviouristic psychology believes that all behaviors, whether simple or complex, can be analyzed, understood, and even predicted by examining the environmental stimuli that elicit them and the consequences they produce.
At the core of behaviouristic psychology is the belief that behavior is primarily shaped and controlled by external factors, such as reinforcement and punishment. According to this perspective, people are born as blank slates, and everything they become is a result of experiences in their environment. This concept is known as the stimulus-response model, where specific stimuli trigger a specific response.
Behaviouristic psychology places great emphasis on empirical research, experimentation, and the use of objective measurement methods to study behavior. It rejects subjective notions and focuses on observable and measurable behaviors that can be studied scientifically. This approach includes the use of conditioning techniques, such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning, to understand how organisms learn new behaviors or modify existing ones.
While behaviouristic psychology faced criticism for its overly simplistic view of human behavior and neglect of internal mental states, it has significantly contributed to various fields like animal training, behavior modification, and learning theories. It also paved the way for other psychological perspectives and laid the groundwork for contemporary approaches in psychology, such as cognitive psychology.
The word "behavioristic" is derived from the noun "behavior", which comes from the Middle English word "behaviour" (also spelled "behavior") and the Old French word "behavour", meaning "conduct, behavior". It was further derived from the Latin word "behavoir", which means "to behave". The suffix "-istic" denotes "relating to" or "characterized by", indicating that behavioristic psychology is a field of study concerned with behavior.