ABSTRACT
In Chapter 3, we define the behaviourist school of thought in personality psychology. We will compare and contrast the perspectives within this school; and we will offer a critique of the behaviourist school in general. We will learn that this school of thought historically has been less receptive to the assumption that personality constructs are empirically verifiable and reflected in behaviour, compared to other schools. Due to the unique influence of B. F. Skinner’s operant reinforcement theory, we examine Skinner’s theory in greater detail than we examine any other behaviourist perspective. Finally, we provide a prelude to Chapter 4 (Humanistic and Existential Perspectives on Personality).
