Jay leaves his house early because in the past, his boss praised him for arriving early to work. This is an example of which type of explanation for behavior?
A Environmental
B Mentalistic
C Teleological
D Hypothetical construct
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: A. Environmental
Jay’s decision to leave his house early because his boss previously praised him for arriving early is best explained by an environmental explanation for behavior. This type of explanation focuses on how external stimuli, past consequences, and observable events influence behavior, rather than internal or unobservable mental states.
In this scenario, Jay’s behavior is a result of positive reinforcement from his environment. His boss praising him for being early acts as a reinforcer, which increases the likelihood that Jay will continue to engage in the same behavior—leaving early for work. This is a fundamental principle in behavioral psychology, particularly in operant conditioning as proposed by B.F. Skinner. The environment, through consequences like praise, shapes and maintains behavior over time.
Environmental explanations do not rely on assumptions about what a person is thinking or feeling internally. Instead, they depend on observable, measurable interactions between the individual and the environment. In Jay’s case, the behavior (leaving early) is directly influenced by a prior environmental event (praise from the boss). This makes it a clear-cut example of how consequences in the environment shape future actions.
By contrast, a mentalistic explanation would refer to Jay’s internal thoughts or feelings, such as saying he left early because he “wanted to be responsible.” A teleological explanation might suggest he left early “in order to get a promotion,” focusing on future goals rather than past causes. A hypothetical construct explanation would involve abstract, unobservable entities like “drive” or “motivation” that are not directly measurable.
Thus, Jay’s behavior being shaped by past praise is most accurately and scientifically explained through an environmental lens.