Final answer:
Behaviorists like Dr. Maple attribute a child's disruptive behavior primarily to prior experiences, not genetic inheritance or innate qualities, as they emphasize the role of learned behavior through conditioning.
Step-by-step explanation:
If Dr. Maple is a behaviorist, he would most likely believe that the cause of a child's disruptive behavior in school is the result of his prior experiences. Behaviorists, like B. F. Skinner, argue that personality and behaviors are a product of the environment and conditioning-learned behavior patterns. According to this perspective, behaviors, including disruptive behaviors, are learned through interaction with the environment, through a system of rewards and punishments. Conditioning can be seen in simple ways, such as a young child learning to put away toys to get a bedtime story, or in more complex scenarios, signifying the power of environmental factors to shape behavior over genetic inheritance.
The Behaviorist Perspective maintains that personality traits are not inborn (‘biological determinism’ is rejected) but are significantly shaped by external reinforcements. This idea contrasts with the belief that physical drives or a learning disability might be the cause of disruptive behaviors. Instead, behaviorists argue that individuals behave consistently based on their individual human history of interactions and prior conditioning.