A student studies more than his roommate for an upcoming test. A behaviorist would explain the difference in behavior between the roommates as a matter of

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Behaviorists focus on observable behaviors and how they're influenced by external factors, such as reinforcement and punishment, rather than internal states like motivation or willpower. Therefore, they would attribute the difference in studying behavior to differences in reinforcement histories, where one student has perhaps been rewarded for studying in the past, leading to more of that behavior.  Behaviorists objected to the circular thinking that was often applied to claims about human instincts (we are sympathetic because we have an instinct to be sympathetic). They provided evidence that important behaviors are learned rather than being inborn.

A Student Studies More Than His Roommate for an Upcoming