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Behavioral psychology, or behaviorism, is an approach in psychology which studies observable behavior, emphasising the role that conditioning plays in influencing a person's thoughts and actions. Learn more about the behavioral approach and discover the key theories and studies which have informed this approach to psychology below:



In this Category

How to Make Small-Talk Using The FORM Technique

FORM Technique
Making Conversation

Struggle to find topics to talk about with friends? Find it difficult to keep conversations alive? Try the easy-to-remember FORM technique.
115
Aversion Therapy

Shock Therapy
Shock Therapy

Aversion therapy uses the principle that new behavior can be 'learnt' in order to overcome addictions, obsessions or, as demonstrated in Kubrick's film, A Clockwork Orange, violent behavior.
19
Fashion Psychology: What clothes say about you

Fashion Psychology
Dressing to Impress

The psychology driving our clothing choices and how fashion affects your dating prospects.
7547
Flooding

Flooding For Phobias
Immerse to Overcome?

If you jumped out of a plane, would you overcome your fear of heights?
139
Altruism More Likely in Affluent Areas - Study

Limits to Altruism
Would You Deliver a Lost Letter?

A 'dropped letter' experiment reveals that the affluence of a neighborhood can affect whether or not residents engage in an altruistic acts.
Imprinting and Relationships

Imprinting
Why First Impressions Matter

How first impressions from birth influence our relationship choices later in life.
736
Classical Behaviorism

Behavioral Psychology
Classical Behaviorism

Overview and in-depth review of classical behaviorism in psychology.
Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning

A look at operant conditioning as a process of learning, and how Skinner's box experiments demonstrated the effect of reinforcements on behavior.
140
Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment

TV Influence
Bandura's 'Bobo Doll' Experiment

Albert Bandura's influential Bobo doll experiments reveal how children imitate TV violence and the behavior of others.
208
Key Figures in Psychology: Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

Pavlov
Ivan Pavlov

A look at the life of Ivan Pavlov, his contributions to behavioral psychology and his discovery of classical conditioning.
148
Video Game Exposure Reinforces 'Stereotypes' - Study

Video Games
Video Games Use and Sexism

Researchers find link between video game use and gender stereotypes in new study.
4
Pavlov's Dogs and Classical Conditioning

Pavlov's Dogs
Pavlov's Dogs

How Pavlov's experiments with dogs demonstrated that our behavior can be changed using conditioning.
5394
Radical Behaviorism

Behavioral Psychology
How Skinner Shook the Behaviorism World

Overview of radical behaviorism, including behaviorism and determinism, conditioning, applications of radical behaviorism and criticisms of the approach.
Teleological Behaviorism

Teleology
Teleological Behaviorism

Introduction to teleological behaviorism, a branch of the behavioral approach in psychology, with an overview, studies and evaluation of the approach.
4
Altruism in Animals and Humans

Altruism
Bats & Goodwill

Why do we help other people? When Darwin introduced his theory of natural selection - often referred to as 'survival of the fittest' - he revolutionized and crystallized thought and theory in regards to how traits evolve in species.
Methodological Behaviorism

Methodology
Methods In Behaviorism

What is methodological behaviorism in psychology, and how does it differ from other types of behaviorism?
Behavioral Approach

Behavioral Psychology
Behavioral Approach

The behavioral approach explained: Introduction to the branches of behaviorism in psychology, assumptions of the approach and an evaluation.
342
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Behavioral Psychology
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

What motivates humans? Maslow's hierarchy pyramid explains.
Flooding for Phobias

Behavioral Psychology
Flooding For Phobias

How flooding is used as a treatment for phobias.
10
Stimulus-Response Theory

Stimulus-Response
Like a Carrot On a Stick

How the Stimulus-Response Theory explains our behavior in psychology.
218
Erikson's Stages of Human Development

Behavioral Psychology
Erikson's Stages of Human Development

Erik Erikson's theory of the stages of human development.
1098
More on Altruism

Behavioral Psychology
More On Altruism

Why do vampire bats show kindness to each other, and is it a selfless act?
17

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