Which description best reflects a classic behaviorist view of learning?

• A. Learning is the change in behavior due to external experiences or practices
• B. Learning is a process of deep mental model revision
• C. Learning is best understood as meaning-making
• D. Learning is driven by intrinsic motivation alone

Answer: (A)

Observable change in behavior driven by external experiences or practice is what classic behaviorism treats as learning. This view holds that learning shows up as measurable changes in how a person acts, produced by the environment through conditioning, reinforcement, and practice. The emphasis is on what can be observed and measured, not on what someone thinks or internally constructs.

The other ideas point to internal processes or motivations, which behaviorism traditionally deemphasizes. Deep mental model revision and meaning-making focus on how people think and interpret information, while intrinsic motivation centers on internal drive. In classic behaviorism, those internal processes are not the primary drivers of learning; instead, learning is about how external stimuli and reinforcement shape outward behavior.