Final answer:
The quote implies that behaviorism diminishes human complexity by applying simplistic principles from animal studies, such as those on rats, to human behavior. It suggests that behaviorism regards human behavior as fully shaped by environment and operant conditioning, similar to rats.
Step-by-step explanation:
The quote "has substituted for the erstwhile anthropomorphic view of the rat, a ratomorphic view of man" suggests that behaviorism applies simple principles derived from animal studies to human behavior. Specifically, this implies that behaviorism demeans our humanness with simple laws derived from rat studies (Option C). Behaviorism, as conceptualized by thinkers like B. F. Skinner, asserts that environment is solely responsible for all behavior, neglecting innate personality traits and proposing that the complexity of human behavior can be reduced to the same operant conditioning principles observed in rats.
In behaviorism, the focus is on observable behavior, significantly influenced by reinforcements and consequences outside the organism. This perspective often disregards cognitive processes, implying a deterministic view where human behavior is entirely shaped by genetics and environment. The understanding of the human mind is equated to the same mechanisms that determine animal behavior, such as the rat, through operant conditioning.