Behavior Psychology

Behavior Psychology Psychology is defined as a science that focuses on the study of and to

explain the way human’s think, behave, and feel. The behaviourist

school of psychology is concerned with the explanation of behaviour

through observable outcomes without making reference to mental events.

Behaviourism is very narrow and can be strongly objected in its

approach to psychology as it does not consider the mental thought

process involvement in behaviour. This school of psychology is very

much about nurture rather than nature. (Harre and Lamb, 1983).

In early 20th century there was a surge of interest in the explaining

of how learning takes place by exploring the observable mechanisms of

learning. This new interest focused on observable forms of behaviour

which included bodily movement that was visible by an observer and

also the internal physical processes connected to overt bodily

movement and how these could be modified. This interest developed into

the psychological theory of behaviourism. (McInerney, 1998)

Behaviourists believe that behaviour is simply learned habits and

reactions humans and animals and personality merely a collection of

these habits. Therefore the goal of behaviourism is to predict, modify

and condition human behaviour (“ The Behavioural Approach”). A

behaviourist psychologist aims to recondition patients’ behaviour and

reactions to stimuli. These goals would be used in circumstances such

as drug abuse, alcoholism, overcoming phobi...

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* Frost, B. (2004). Changing States. Behavioural Psychology-

History, techniques and role of Hypnotherapy. [Online]. At

http://freespace-virgin.net/changing.states/behavioural_approaches.html

Accessed: 02/05

* Harre, R and Lamb, R. (1983) The Encyclopaedic Dictionary of

Psychology. Great Britain: Basil Blackwell.

* Kazdin, A. (2000) Encyclopaedia of Psychology. Volume 1. New York:

Oxford University Press.

* McInerney, D and V. (1998) Educational Psychology: Constructing

Learning Second Edition. Australia: Prentice Hall

* Tennant, M. (1997) Psychology and Adult Learning. New York:

Routledge

* Van Iersal, H and others. (2005) VCE Units 1&2. Australia: Thomas

Nelson

* Van Iersal, H and others. (2005) VCE Units 3&4. Australia: Thomas

Nelson