Question

Behaviorists look to the environment to see what is reinforcing people's behavior and how their environment is affecting their ability to learn and express themselves.

a) True
b) False

Answer 1

The statement that behaviorists focus on the environment to see what reinforces behavior and how it affects learning and expression is true.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement is true: behaviorists do indeed focus on the environment to determine what reinforces individuals' behavior and how that environment affects their learning and expression. Behaviorism, as a psychological perspective, posits that personality and behaviors are not inborn but are shaped through interactions with the external world. This approach to psychology emphasizes the significance of the environment in molding behavior through mechanisms like reinforcement and punishment.

Operant conditioning, a concept developed by B. F. Skinner, is central to behaviorist theory. It suggests that behavior is motivated by consequences, known as reinforcements and punishments. According to the law of effect, proposed by Edward Thorndike, behaviors that lead to satisfying outcomes tend to be repeated, while those with unpleasant outcomes tend to be discouraged.

Positive reinforcement is a method in which a desirable stimulus is presented following a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated. Conversely, punishment involves presenting an undesirable outcome after a behavior to decrease its occurrence. Both methods influence how an individual learns and expresses behavior.