Behaviorism
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 An approach to psychology focusing on observable behavior which, generally assuming that behavior is determined by the environment and denying any independent significance for mind, largely ignores any pathophysiological processes which may, or may not, underlie subjective, behavioral phenomena. US, countable, uncountable
"Behaviorism is considered by most philosophers of medicine, to be an expression of the weaker, minimalist interpretation of the 'medical model' of clinical psychology because it focuses the study and classification of mental disorders upon a phenomenological, rather than a pathophysiological, approach to the subject."
- 2 an approach to psychology that emphasizes observable measurable behavior wordnet
Example
More examples"Behaviorism is considered by most philosophers of medicine, to be an expression of the weaker, minimalist interpretation of the 'medical model' of clinical psychology because it focuses the study and classification of mental disorders upon a phenomenological, rather than a pathophysiological, approach to the subject."
Etymology
From behavior + -ism.
Related phrases
More for "behaviorism"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.