Question

You are interviewing a new member of the psychology department for the university newspaper. The faculty member states, "Internal states undoubtedly exist, but it is not necessary to draw inferences about unobservable states in order to understand behavior." This faculty member's views are MOST similar to the views held by

a. ​B. F. Skinner.
b. ​Sigmund Freud.
c. ​William James.
d. ​Carl Rogers.

Answer 1

The new psychology department faculty member's views are most similar to behaviorist B. F. Skinner, who focused on observable behavior and environmental influences rather than on internal states.

Step-by-step explanation:

The faculty member's statement aligns closely with the views of B. F. Skinner, a central figure in the behaviorist perspective of psychology. Skinner emphasized the study of observable behavior and the environments that shape such behavior, rather than delving into unobservable internal states like thoughts and feelings. Skinner believed that it wasn't necessary to infer unseen mental processes to understand behavior since one could study the external stimuli and resultant behaviors directly.

Conversely, Sigmund Freud focused on the unconscious mind and internal psychoanalytical processes. William James, associated with functionalism, also considered internal mental functions, and Carl Rogers, with his person-centered therapy, emphasized understanding the individual's subjective experience.

Therefore, the new faculty member's view is most similar to B. F. Skinner, who chose to study behavior without making inferences about unobservable internal states.