167k views
3 votes
Which of the following would be considered a behavior, according to the tenants of radical

behaviorism?
a. Thinking about weekend plans
b. Falling off a wobbly chair
c. Refraining from swearing at a bad driver
d. Laying quietly during nap time

User Stalker
by
8.0k points

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

According to the tenets of radical behaviorism, behaviors are actions that can be observed and measured, thus 'refraining from swearing at a bad driver' and 'laying quietly during nap time' would be considered behaviors.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the tenets of radical behaviorism, a behavior is an action that can be observed and measured. When discussing which of the following options would be considered a behavior:

  • Thinking about weekend plans
  • Falling off a wobbly chair
  • Refraining from swearing at a bad driver
  • Laying quietly during nap time

the answer is both refraining from swearing at a bad driver and laying quietly during nap time. These are observable actions that can be measured in terms of their occurrence or non-occurrence, hence fitting the radical behaviorist definition of behavior. Although thinking about weekend plans is a cognitive activity, it is an internal process and not directly observable and measurable by another person, which is a key aspect of radical behaviorism. Similarly, falling off a wobbly chair may not be considered a behavior in the behaviorist context as it is an accident rather than a deliberate, measurable action.

User Gricha
by
8.0k points