Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Traditional behaviourists are psychologists who emphasize the role of external stimuli and reinforcement in shaping behavior, while disregarding internal mental processes such as thoughts, beliefs, and emotions.
Related terms
Classical conditioning: A type of learning in which an organism learns to associate two stimuli and respond automatically to one stimulus based on its association with another stimulus.
Operant conditioning: A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened or weakened by consequences, such as rewards or punishments.
Stimulus-response (S-R) psychology: The idea that behavior is determined solely by external stimuli triggering specific responses, without considering internal mental processes.