Mentalism

Mentalism explains behavior through assumptions about the existence of inner and mental faculties as the root cause of a behavior.  The key component to mentalism is that it attempts to explain the cause of behavior through assumption-based concepts, as opposed to the concepts of private events which are outlined in radical behaviorism.

Forms of mentalism

Hypothetical construct:  This is a theory based on an unobserved process of thought containing various conceptual elements, typically they are subjective and not based on empirical evidence. Examples of this are free-will , self-esteem, pride, dedication, and intelligence. Each of these concepts could be used as causes of behavior, but we would be relying on hypothetical constructs to explain the behavior.

Example: Intuition

Explanatory fiction: This  is a fictitious or hypothetical variable that often takes the form of another name for the observed phenomenon it claims to explain.  It contributes nothing to functional relationships.  Terms such as “intelligence” or “cognitive awareness” are explanations for behavior that are not observable and measurable.  For example, an explanation of “the use of intelligence led to…” does not assist in the “why” an organism pushes the lever when the light is on and food is available but does not push the lever when the light is off and no food is available.

Example:    Zoe gets great grades on her assignments at school because she’s so intelligent.

Circular reasoning: This concept  uses the effect of behavior to explain the cause, but also uses the cause of the behavior to explain the effect. For example: he is smart because he did the behavior. He did the behavior because he is smart.

Example: John is a good man because he follows his intuition.  I can tell John follows his intuition because he is a good man.

Radical Behaviorism vs Mentalism

Radical Behaviorism and Mentalism are two contrasting viewpoints within the field of psychology, especially about the nature of behavior and its causes.

1. **Radical Behaviorism**  Proposed by B.F. Skinner, Radical Behaviorism is an approach that emphasizes the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior. It posits that all actions and behaviors are a result of conditioning and reinforcement from the environment. Radical Behaviorists believe in the observability of behavior and often rely on empirical methods to study it. They do consider internal events, such as thoughts and feelings, but view these as behaviors themselves that are subject to the same environmental influences as any other behavior.

2. **Mentalism**: Mentalism, on the other hand, asserts that behavior is the result of internal, mental states and processes. Mentalists believe that thoughts, feelings, beliefs, intentions, and other internal states cause behavior. Their focus is more on the ‘mind’ and less on observable behavior.

To distinguish between the two, consider the following:

– Is the explanation for behavior derived primarily from observable environmental factors or from inferred internal states?

– Is the behavior explained in terms of conditioning and reinforcement (indicative of Radical Behaviorism) or in terms of thoughts, intentions, and feelings (indicative of Mentalism)?

– Does the explanation rely on empirical data (more typical of Radical Behaviorism) or on introspective or anecdotal evidence (often found in Mentalism)?