atferdsperspektiv

Atferdsperspektivet is a school of thought in psychology that concentrates on observable, measurable behaviors and the environmental factors that shape them. It emerged in the early 20th century with the rise of behaviorism, drawing on the work of Ivan Pavlov with classical conditioning and John B. Watson’s emphasis on observable responses. B. F. Skinner later developed operant conditioning, arguing that behavior is controlled by reinforcement and punishment, and that complex actions can be understood as sequences of reinforced responses. Thorndike’s law of effect also influenced the development of the perspective.

Core ideas center on learning through interactions with the environment, the role of contingencies in maintaining or changing behavior, and the view that mental states are often not directly observable and thus should not be the primary focus of science. The method favors controlled experiments, precise measurement of response frequency, duration, and intensity, and functional analysis to identify the environmental variables that sustain a given behavior.

Extensions and influence include social learning theory by Albert Bandura, which introduces observational learning and cognitive processes into the behavioral framework. The perspective has been applied across fields such as education, clinical psychology, and organizational settings. Behavior modification techniques, token economies, systematic desensitization, exposure therapies, and applied behavior analysis (ABA) for autism are among its practical applications.

Criticism of the atferdsperspektivet often centers on its neglect of biological factors and internal cognitive processes, ethical concerns related to punishment and manipulation, and debates about the extent to which it can account for complex human behavior beyond simple stimulus–response relationships.