Which statement best captures the main assumptions of the Behaviourist approach?

Which statement best captures the main assumptions of the Behaviourist approach?

• A. All behaviour is learned from experience; focus on observable behaviour; mental processes are often excluded; use controlled lab methods.
• B. Mental processes are central and inner experiences drive behaviour in unpredictable ways.
• C. Behaviour is primarily influenced by genetic predispositions.
• D. Learning cannot be studied in laboratory settings.

Answer: (A)

Behaviourism is about learning from experience, with a focus on observable behaviour and an insistence that inner mental processes are not the subject of scientific study. It also relies on controlled lab methods to carefully manipulate variables and establish cause-and-effect in learning. That combination is why the statement describing learning from experience, emphasis on observable behaviour, exclusion of mental processes from scientific inquiry, and use of controlled laboratory techniques best captures the approach. The other descriptions align with different perspectives—one gives central importance to mental processes (cognitive), another highlights genetic or biological influences (biology), and another claims learning can’t be studied in the lab, which contradicts behaviourist methods.

Behaviourism is about learning from experience, with a focus on observable behaviour and an insistence that inner mental processes are not the subject of scientific study. It also relies on controlled lab methods to carefully manipulate variables and establish cause-and-effect in learning.

That combination is why the statement describing learning from experience, emphasis on observable behaviour, exclusion of mental processes from scientific inquiry, and use of controlled laboratory techniques best captures the approach. The other descriptions align with different perspectives—one gives central importance to mental processes (cognitive), another highlights genetic or biological influences (biology), and another claims learning can’t be studied in the lab, which contradicts behaviourist methods.