Behaviourism is a school of thought in psychology that focuses on the study of observable and measurable behaviour.
It emerged in the 20th century and was developed by leading theorists such as Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner.
Behaviourists believe that human behaviour is the result of stimuli and responses, and that the environment plays a fundamental role in shaping and modifying behaviour.
They consider that mental processes and emotions are not relevant to understanding behaviour, as they are not directly observable.
Behaviourism is based on the use of controlled experiments and systematic observation to study how external stimuli influence the responses of individuals.
It focuses on the concepts of reinforcement and punishment to explain how behaviours can be acquired, maintained or extinguished.
Although behaviourism has been criticised for its narrow focus on the observable and its lack of consideration for the internal aspects of human experience, it has had a significant impact on psychology and has been applied in areas such as behaviour modification, learning and behavioural therapy.
