According to behaviorism, what should be considered to understand human behavior?

In behaviorism, understanding human behavior primarily revolves around the idea that behavior is shaped by environmental stimuli and the consequences that follow those behaviors. This perspective emphasizes the reinforcing properties of the environment, suggesting that behaviors are learned through interactions with the surroundings that reinforce or punish actions.

Behaviorists focus on observable behavior rather than internal states like thoughts and feelings, which means they prioritize the external factors that can affect behavior, such as rewards or punishments. Reinforcement, whether positive (adding a stimulus) or negative (removing an aversive stimulus), plays a critical role in determining how likely a behavior is to be repeated.

Other approaches within psychology consider internal processes and social factors more heavily, which can lead to different interpretations of behavior. However, behaviorism is distinctly rooted in the idea that external reinforcement is key to understanding behavioral patterns, making the notion of the reinforcing properties of the environment the correct focal point.