Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Behavioral psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the study of observable behaviors, including human actions and reactions. It emphasizes the role of environmental factors in influencing behavior.
This is a learning process where two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that was initially elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
This is another type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. Key concepts in operant conditioning are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment.