Radical Behaviorism

Radical Behaviorism is the school of thought pioneered by B. F. Skinner that argues that behavior, rather than mental states, should be the focus of study in psychology.

Skinner’s science of behavior emphasizes the importance of reinforcement and the relationships between observable stimuli and responses. Behaviors do not depend on thoughts, feelings, or other internal processes; rather, they are natural events that occur as a result of other events in the environment. Benefits and consequences of a behavior either increase or decrease the probability of that behavior occurring in the future. For example, if Sarah bites her nails, she does so not as a conscious or unconscious decision to relieve anxiety but because the behavior is rewarding in some way.