Final answer:
Behaviorists seek to understand how environmental stimuli control behavior, emphasizing that all aspects of human behavior, including thoughts and emotions, can be explained by interactions with the environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychologists who adopt the behaviorist approach focus on understanding how environmental stimuli control behavior. This approach is based on the premise that behaviors can be studied in a systematic and observable manner, without the need for considering internal mental states or consciousness. Classical behaviorists like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner emphasized the importance of the environment in shaping behavior through conditioning. Watson's research on classical conditioning and Skinner's work on operant conditioning illustrate how environmental factors can be manipulated to produce certain behaviors.
Behaviorism views personality development as a result of learning experiences rather than inheriting biological factors. The Behavioral Perspective considers consistent behavior patterns, or personality traits, to be primarily formed by external reinforcements and consequences, rather than inborn qualities. In essence, behaviorists argue that all human behavior, including thoughts and feelings, can be explained in terms of responses to environmental stimuli.