which is a behaviorist most likely to study?
a. Unconscious thought processes
b. Self-reported mental states
c. Animal learning
d. Repressed memories
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is c. Animal learning.
Behaviorists focus on observable and measurable behaviors, rather than internal thoughts or mental states. The theory behind behaviorism is that all behaviors are learned from the environment and can be understood through the study of external stimuli and responses. This approach emphasizes empirical evidence, typically gathered from controlled experiments that observe the subject’s responses to various stimuli.
One of the key figures in behaviorism, B.F. Skinner, conducted extensive research on animal learning. He is famous for his work with pigeons and rats, demonstrating how reinforcement and punishment could shape behavior. Animal learning provides behaviorists with a clear, observable set of responses that can be reliably measured and analyzed. This helps establish patterns of behavior that are generalized to human actions as well.
Behaviorists avoid studying unconscious thought processes or mental states because these are not directly observable or measurable. Unlike cognitive psychologists, behaviorists do not rely on introspective methods or self-reported data. Instead, they focus on the external, observable behavior that can be quantified and systematically manipulated in experimental settings.
Repressed memories and unconscious thoughts, which are central to psychoanalytic theories, are also outside the realm of behaviorist research. Behaviorism rejects the idea of internal mental processes as a focus, prioritizing environmental factors and their impact on behavior instead.
Overall, a behaviorist is most likely to study animal learning because it involves observable behaviors that can be influenced by the environment, and it offers concrete data that supports their focus on conditioning and stimulus-response relationships.