Psychology Atlas

How The Mind Works
Branches of Psychology

Behavioral Psychology

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Maze with a Traced Path

The branch of psychology built on behaviorism, the theory of learning that holds that all behaviors are learned through conditioned interaction with the environment, studying observable behavior rather than internal mental states.

Facts
Central Question
What can be learned about behavior by studying only what can be observed and measured, rather than by inferring internal mental states? 1
Key Debate
Whether a framework built entirely on observable behavior can account for thought and language at all; the cognitive revolution of the late twentieth century argued it could not, and displaced behaviorism as the field's dominant framework. 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Includes

Sources
1. Wikipedia: Behaviorism
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Quote, Lead section
Behaviorism is a systematic approach to understanding the behavior of humans and other animals.
1. Wikipedia: Behaviorism
Wikimedia FoundationCriticisms and Limitations section
Quote, Criticisms and Limitations section
The cognitive revolution of the late 20th century largely replaced behaviorism as an explanatory theory with cognitive psychology.
Simply Psychology, Branches of Psychology
Simply Psychology (Saul McLeod Ltd)Branches of Psychology, Behavioral Psychology section
Quote, Branches of Psychology, Behavioral Psychology section
Behaviorism is a theory of learning that states all behaviors are learned through conditioned interaction with the environment.
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