Behaviorism vs. Mentalism: Clearing Up the Confusion
Ever stared at a test question and thought:
“Wait—what’s the difference between radical and methodological behaviorism again?”
You’re not alone.
The names sound similar, but the philosophies are quite different—and those differences matter, both in practice and on the exam.
Let’s break it down in plain terms.
Three Ways to Explain Behavior
Most behavior can be interpreted through three major lenses:
| Perspective | Private Events | How It Explains Behavior |
| Mentalism | Causes behavior | “He hit because he was angry.” |
| Methodological Behaviorism | Excluded from analysis | “We can’t observe anger, so we won’t consider it.” |
| Radical Behaviorism | Included as behavior, not cause | “Anger is real, but the behavior was reinforced by escape.” |
Mentalism: The Mind as Cause
Mentalism relies on assumptions about internal states like:
- “He’s aggressive.”
- “She wanted revenge.”
- “They were just lazy.”
These sound intuitive—but they don’t help us design effective interventions.
In ABA, we don’t reject emotions—we reject the idea that emotions cause behavior.
Why? Because we can’t test those assumptions. And we can’t change what we can’t observe.
Methodological Behaviorism: “If We Can’t See It, We Ignore It”
This approach focuses only on observable behavior. It doesn’t deny that feelings or thoughts exist—it simply excludes them from analysis.
You might hear:
“Since we can’t observe it, it’s outside the scope of science.”
This stance can still support useful intervention, but it leaves out private events entirely—even if they’re relevant.
Radical Behaviorism: Everything is Behavior
This is the foundation of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
Radical behaviorism, developed by Skinner, recognizes:
- Private events are real
- They’re part of a person’s behavior
- But they aren’t treated as causes
They’re explained, like any other behavior, by reinforcement history and environmental context.
We don’t say “She ran away because she was scared.”
We say, “She ran away, and that behavior was reinforced by escape or attention.”
Clinical Example: Table Flip
A client flips a table after a demand is given.
- Mentalism: “He did that because he was mad.”
- Methodological: “Let’s ignore the emotion and just measure the behavior.”
- Radical Behaviorism: “He flipped the table after a demand, and he avoided the task. Let’s analyze that pattern.”
Only one of these leads to a testable hypothesis and intervention that works.
How to Practice This Perspective
When supervising or writing behavior plans, you can practice radical behaviorism by:
- Asking “What happened before and after the behavior?”
- Looking for reinforcement patterns—not emotions
- Coaching others to avoid “mind-reading” explanations
This helps teams stay grounded in function, not fiction.
Takeaway
Here’s the simple version:
| Philosophy | Summary |
| Mentalism | Private events cause behavior |
| Methodological Behaviorism | Private events are ignored |
| Radical Behaviorism | Private events are included—but not causal |
Want to stay aligned with ABA’s scientific roots?
Stick with radical behaviorism—and always look to the environment.
Related Concepts from the Test Content Outline
Coming Up Next: How ABA Fits Into the Bigger Picture
Radical behaviorism is the philosophy behind ABA, but it’s not the whole story.
Next week, we’ll zoom out and clarify how:
- Behaviorism (the philosophy),
- EAB (basic research),
- ABA (applied work), and
- Professional practice (what BCBAs do)
…all relate—and where each shows up on the exam.
It’s a map you’ll want to have. See you then.
The Learning Behavior Analysis Team