What does behaviourism mean?
Behaviourism is the psychological doctrine that the proper subject of scientific study is not the mind but observable behaviour. Emerging in the early twentieth century through the work of John B. Watson and later developed most influentially by B. F. Skinner, it holds that actions are best explained as conditioned responses to environmental stimuli — acquired through processes such as classical and operant conditioning — rather than as expressions of internal thoughts, feelings, or intentions. In its radical form, behaviourism rejects appeals to consciousness altogether, treating private mental events as inaccessible to rigorous science. Although the rise of the cognitive revolution from the 1950s onwards greatly diminished its dominance, its legacy endures in behavioural therapy, applied behaviour analysis, and habit formation research. The term is chiefly academic in register and appears in psychology, philosophy of mind, and educational literature. It should be noted that 'behaviorism' is simply the standard American spelling of the same concept.
nounThe theory that human and animal behaviour can be fully explained in terms of conditioning, without reference to thoughts, feelings, or internal mental states; also spelled behaviorism in American English.
- The school of psychology founded by John B. Watson holding that psychology should study only observable behaviour, not consciousness or introspection.
- More broadly, any doctrine or approach explaining conduct purely as learned responses to environmental stimuli, especially via conditioning.
"Watson's behaviourism rejected introspection as a scientific method."
"Under strict behaviourism, concepts like desire and belief are treated as unscientific speculation rather than legitimate objects of study."
"B. F. Skinner extended behaviourism by showing how reinforcement schedules could shape complex patterns of animal and human action."
Rarely pluralised; the plural may occasionally appear in academic discussions distinguishing different varieties or schools of behaviourism, but singular use is overwhelmingly standard.
"Historians of psychology sometimes distinguish among several distinct behaviourisms that flourished during the twentieth century."
John B. Watson famously claimed he could take any healthy infant and train them to become 'doctor, lawyer, artist... even beggar-man and thief' — the boldest promise behaviourism ever made.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of behaviourism
Behaviourism derives from the English word 'behaviour', which itself traces back to the Old French 'behaivour' and ultimately to roots meaning 'to hold oneself' or 'conduct oneself'. The suffix '-ism' was appended to name the doctrine when the movement was formally launched by John B. Watson around 1913, notably in his paper 'Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It'. The American spelling 'behaviorism' follows the same path using US orthographic conventions. Related forms sharing this root include 'behave', 'behavioural', and 'behaviourist'.
Related word forms
How behaviourism is actually used
Primarily an academic term used in psychology, philosophy of mind, and education; rarely encountered in casual speech. The spelling 'behaviour-ism' with a u is standard British usage, while 'behaviorism' is standard American usage. The word carries no inherent positive or negative connotation, though it is often discussed critically in modern cognitive science contexts.
Easily confused with behaviourism
Behaviorism is simply the American spelling of the same word, while behaviourism is the British spelling.
Behaviouralism (or behavioralism) refers to a movement in political science emphasising empirical observation of behaviour, whereas behaviourism refers to the psychological theory of conditioning.