Final answer:
Behavioristic psychology, which stems from the work of Watson and Skinner, is focused on observable behaviors and rejects the use of unconscious motivations that are central to Freud's psychoanalytic theory. Thus, the claim that behaviorism relies on depth psychology to explain behavior is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that behavioristic psychology relies upon depth psychology or the psychoanalytic concepts of unconscious motivation to explain behavior is false. Behavioristic psychology, as pioneered by individuals such as John Watson and B. F. Skinner, focuses solely on observable behaviors and the environmental factors that influence these behaviors. The approach is founded on the principle that all human actions, including thoughts and feelings, can be explained by conditioning and physical factors, without invoking internal, unconscious motivations.
Behaviorists, such as Skinner, argued that the environment predominantly shapes personality and behavior through reinforcement and consequences, not by inborn traits. Therefore, this approach is fundamentally different from that of Sigmund Freud, who emphasized the critical role of the unconscious mind in shaping behavior. Freud's theory suggested that unconscious drives and experiences, often stemming from early childhood, greatly influence our conscious behavior. This is in direct contrast to the behaviorist view, which strictly examines the observable aspects of behavior.
The rise of behaviorism marked a distinct turn in the field of psychology, making it more objective and measurable by focusing on externally observable behavior and discounting internal psychological processes. While psychoanalytic theorists like Freud sought to uncover hidden inner experiences and understandings through methods like dream analysis and free association, behaviorists aimed for a science of behavior that was observable and testable.
Overall, the behaviorist perspective represents a clear divergence from the psychoanalytic approach, focusing on measurable, observable behavior rather than the unconscious motivations postulated by depth psychology.