Final answer:
Behaviorism, a prominent perspective in psychology, posits that all human behaviors and mental processes can be understood as responses to environmental stimuli through conditioning. This deterministic view, influenced by psychologists like Watson and Skinner, emphasizes observable behavior over unobservable mental states, though variations within behaviorism range from denying to de-emphasizing mental events. Other psychological approaches, such as humanism, emerged in contrast to behaviorism, highlighting personal agency and innate potential for good.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychologists understand human behavior and mentality through various perspectives, and one such perspective is behaviorism. According to behaviorism, all phenomena, including thoughts, feelings, and observable behavior, can be viewed as responses to environmental stimuli and can be explained through conditioning. Behaviorists like John Watson and B.F. Skinner have significantly contributed to this field, arguing that objective scientific methods should be applied to study behavior. This approach can be seen to include aspects of operant conditioning, where behavior is understood as a function of prior reinforcements and punishments. Such a deterministic view posits that human behavior can ultimately be predicted and controlled through a greater understanding of these environmental factors and laws.
Furthermore, behaviorism contrasts with other psychological approaches that emphasize inner experiences, such as Structuralism, Freudian psychoanalysis, and Gestalt psychology. Behaviorists lean towards the notion that all actions, emotions, and thoughts have causes rooted in physical events and conditioning. The psychological study of behavior through scientific methods, including observation and experimentation, is key to this perspective, minimizing the role of unobservable mental states.
Varying degrees of behaviorism exist, from 'hard' behaviorists, who deny mental states entirely, to 'soft' behaviorists, who do not necessarily reject the idea of mental states but prioritize the study of observable behavior.
From another point of view, approaches like humanism emerged as a response to behaviorism and psychoanalysis, focusing on innate goodness, personal control, and intentionality, illustrated by the works of Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. This illustrates the diverse spectrum of ideas within psychology in pursuit of understanding the complex nature of human behavior and the mind.