Behaviorism: The Behaviorist Approach To Psychology

Behaviorism is known for a number of famous studies, such as the study of Pavlov’s dogs, the Bobo doll experiment, the Skinner box, and the Little Albert experiment. 

Below, we’ll discuss these experiments, the contributions of behaviorism to psychology, and therapeutic methods that are grounded in the behavioral approach.

Behaviorism: A branch of psychology that focuses on how people learn through their interactions with the environment

Within the behavioral approach, psychology is typically analyzed and studied using solely objective and scientific methods of observing human behavior. Whereas some approaches to psychology may consider a person's own subjective and unique views, their feelings and emotions, and their experiences, behaviorism generally disregards this information and focuses on controlled observation and measurement of behavior, with its primary goal usually being control and prediction of behavior.

Those who support the behavioral approach may not deny the existence of a person using their mind to process the stimuli around them, but it is generally seen as irrelevant to their primary concerns in studying psychology, since these internal factors cannot be outwardly observed aside from relying on a person's interpretations and expressions of these factors.

This approach is often considered a reductionist (reducing the whole of human behavior into smaller components to simplify and understand it more easily) and nomothetic approach (establishing generalizations applicable to all individuals).

Those who focus on behaviorism usually strongly support controlled experimentation to study cause and effect. This type of research usually involves strict control of the environment. Behaviorists often see parallels between the behavioral patterns that can be learned or conditioned in humans and animals, so experimentation with non-human subjects is sometimes conducted to test out behavior-related hypotheses in a controlled setting, compared to working strictly with other people, whose emotions and subjective perceptions may affect the results of testing.

Stimulus-and-response association

Lastly, the root of a behavioral approach to psychology can be boiled down to the belief that behavior, regardless of complexity, can be conditioned and predicted based on a "stimulus-and-response association." This generally means that the reaction can be predicted in response to a specific stimulus.

Behaviorists and their famous behaviorism studies 

Behaviorism became well known for a number of groundbreaking experiments. The following are just a few:

Pavlov's dogs

This is generally considered to be the most well-known behavioral study regarding behavioral conditioning. In the 1890s, Ivan Pavlov was studying his dogs' salivation levels in response to being fed. He discovered that they soon began to salivate in response to any stimuli they associated with knowing they would be fed soon, such as his assistant approaching, and, later on, the sound of a metronome. Pavlov devoted much of his future work to studying this concept and determined that if a conditioned stimulus (something a person or animal is trained to respond to [the metronome]) and an unconditioned stimulus (something that leads to a natural response [food]) occur within a close enough time frame, the two will generally be connected, and the person or animal will typically be conditioned to respond accordingly.

Bobo Doll experiment by behaviorist Bandura

This was a study on conditioning in young children that showed they could mimic and learn social behaviors (particularly aggression) through observation of the adults in their presence. This generally happens in a process called observational learning. During the Bobo Doll experiment, a group of children were divided into three smaller groups for experimentation purposes. One group was shown a "Bobo" doll that they witnessed an adult abusing physically and verbally. A second group observed non-aggressive behavior, and a third group observed no behavioral model. Afterward, the children were provided with toys that were soon taken away to provoke aggression appropriate for their age range. The children who had witnessed adults displaying abusive behavior toward the Bobo dolls tended to exhibit aggressive behaviors.

The Skinner Box

The Skinner Box was an experiment supporting the idea of operant conditioning, which generally shows that behaviors rewarded tend to be repeated, while punishment typically deters an individual from repeating certain behaviors. The experiment started by placing a lab rat in a box. While hungry, it learned that touching a small lever would dispense a pellet of food. Therefore, the rat usually learned to repeat the action for a positive response (often called positive reinforcement). 

In regard to negative reinforcement, rats were also placed within a box that would occasionally give them a small shock, but with a lever that would prevent the shock from occurring. They often very quickly learned to trigger the lever to stop the shock from happening.

Watson’s The Little Albert experiment

Although often viewed as ethically questionable, an experiment called the Little Albert experiment was conducted to see if the conditioning proven in Pavlov's dog experiment could also apply to human beings. This experiment involved a nine-month-old baby boy presented with a variety of objects, including a monkey, a rabbit, and a white rat.

Like most children, he had no negative reaction to the objects presented to him but did startle and begin crying each time when a hammer was hit against a steel bar behind him. Over a few weeks, those conducting the experiment began to hit the hammer on the steel bar every time the little boy received the white rat, and eventually, he became fearful every time the white rat was presented, even without the sound of the hammer hitting the steel bar.

Behavioral techniques in a treatment setting

The ideas supported by behaviorism and behavior modification psychology may also be applied in a treatment setting for therapeutic and behavioral modification purposes.

CBT is a combination of behaviorism and cognitive therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) generally focuses on the thoughts behind certain behaviors and helps a person become aware of their effects. One of the goals is typically to help an individual identify negative or inaccurate thought processes and replace them with more positive or accurate thoughts. During this type of therapy, the individual may change their thought processes in reaction to certain stimuli and situations, which may allow them to make changes to their emotions and behaviors in the process.

Positive reinforcement psychology is used in ABA to improve skills

Applied behavior analysis often uses behavioral techniques such as positive reinforcement to encourage replacement of harmful or unhealthy behaviors with more desirable ones. Applied behavior analysis is typically considered a preferred treatment for individuals living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It typically focuses on behavior modification through behavior and consequences, with the goal of improving social skills and other abilities. 

Social learning theory explains human behavior concerning substance use disorder

Social learning theory is a concept that was put forth by Albert Bandura and can be seen in cases such as the Bobo Doll experiment. This theory posits that many behaviors can be learned by observation in social situations and then imitated. In a treatment setting, this is often applied to those experiencing substance use disorder. It often involves surrounding those who have observable negative factors in their lives with positive role models and support systems to encourage more desirable behavior.

Exposure therapy exposes individuals to the feared stimulus to reduce phobia

Exposure therapy can also utilize behavioral techniques by conditioning those with phobias and strong negative responses to stimuli (such as those living with trauma and its associated effects) to respond better to certain triggers in their lives. Exposure therapy often involves safe, strategic interaction with triggers, under the supervision of a therapist, to gradually desensitize individuals to their phobias.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

Learn to use the behavioral approach to your advantage

If you’d like to adjust your behavior or eliminate unhealthy habits, it may help to work with a licensed mental health professional who has experience with behavioral approaches. If it’s not possible to see a therapist in person at this time, you might consider online therapy, which many studies have demonstrated to be effective. One analysis found that internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) can be effective for treating phobias, substance use disorder, anxiety, and depression.

With online therapy, you can receive support from the comfort of your home, eliminating the need to commute to a therapist’s office. You can communicate with a therapist in a way that’s most comfortable for you—by audio, video, live chat, or a combination of these methods.