What Behavioral Psychology Studies

Behavioral psychology studies observable behavior and the conditions that shape it. In this opening lesson, Professor Mark Davis defines the field, explains how it differs from intuition-based explanations, and shows why behavior is best understood in context: the situation, the cues present, the consequences that follow, and the learning history behind a response.

You will learn the core scope of the field, including what behavioral psychologists do and do not study, how the approach applies to human and animal behavior, and why behavior is often more predictable when we focus on patterns rather than personalities. This lesson sets up the rest of the course by building a clear foundation for learning, reinforcement, habit change, and choice.