What do behaviorists focus on in their approach to psychology?

Behaviorists concentrate on observable and measurable behavior as the primary focus of their psychological approach. This perspective emerged in the early 20th century with key figures like John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner, who argued that psychology should be a science grounded in empirical observation rather than introspection or subjective experiences. Behaviorists maintain that behaviors can be conditioned and modified through interactions with the environment, emphasizing that only actions that can be seen and quantified should be studied.

This focus on observable behavior allows behaviorists to apply scientific methods, making it easier to design experiments, gather data, and draw conclusions about patterns of behavior. Unlike other psychological approaches, behaviorism largely ignores internal mental states, such as thoughts or emotions, since these are not directly observable and measurable.