Question

According to behaviourists, personality is __________.

• A. driven by unconscious forces
• B. a set of learned responses
• C. motivated by striving for success
• D. a collection of specific traits

Hint:

For behaviorists, there is no mysterious "self" inside; what we call "personality" is simply the sum total of our learned behavioral habits.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks for the fundamental definition of personality from the perspective of behaviorist theorists.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

• Behaviorism (championed by B.F. Skinner, John B. Watson, and Albert Bandura) rejects the idea of internal, unobservable mental traits or drives.

• Behaviorists view personality not as a stable inner essence, but rather as a comprehensive set of learned responses or habits.

• These behaviors are acquired through classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning, and cumulative reinforcement history.

• Unconscious forces are the cornerstone of the psychodynamic model (Freud).

• Striving for success and self-actualization are core concepts in humanistic and Adlerian psychology.

• A collection of specific traits is the core definition of personality according to trait theorists (like Allport, Cattell, and Eysenck).

Step 3: Final Answer:
According to behaviorists, personality is defined as a set of learned responses and habits acquired through environmental conditioning.