Which of the following best describes the philosophy of radical behaviorism?

• A. It focuses exclusively on unconscious motives and internal mental processes.
• B. It emphasizes the role of genetics over environmental influences in shaping behavior.
• C. It claims that only observable behavior should be studied, ignoring any internal events.
• D. It asserts that all behavior, including private events like thoughts and feelings, can be studied scientifically as observable phenomena.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that radical behaviorism is a philosophy within psychology that focuses on behavior analysis and learning.
2. Recognize that unlike traditional behaviorism, which may ignore internal mental states, radical behaviorism includes private events such as thoughts and feelings as part of behavior.
3. Note that radical behaviorism asserts these private events can be studied scientifically, even though they are not directly observable by others.
4. Contrast this with other philosophies that either focus exclusively on unconscious motives or emphasize genetics over environment, which radical behaviorism does not.
5. Conclude that the best description of radical behaviorism is that it asserts all behavior, including private events, can be studied scientifically as observable phenomena.