Final answer:
Behavior in psychology refers to observable and measurable actions, while mental processes pertain to cognitive activities. Instinctual behaviors are innate and learned behaviors are shaped by the environment. Psychology uses research methods to understand both behaviors and mental processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
In psychology, behavior refers to any action that we can observe and measure, while mental processes refer to the internal cognitive activities we distinguish from behavior. Behavior can be a response to stimuli and can be categorized into two types: instinctual/innate behaviors, which are not influenced by the environment, and learned behaviors, which are influenced by environmental changes. The mental processes include aspects of intellect and consciousness, including thought, perception, memory, emotion, will, and imagination, which are part of the mind.
Learned behaviors arise from environmental interactions and conditioning, such as rewards and punishments within social contexts. Meanwhile, instinctual behaviors include innate actions, such as mating systems and the human baby grabbing her mother's finger as a reflex. Both of these aspects--behavior and mental processes--are fundamental to the scientific study of psychology, which aims to understand and explain them through various research methods, including observation, interaction, and controlled experiments.