behavior theory
the assumption that behavior, including its acquisition, development, and maintenance, can be adequately explained by stimuli- and response-based principles of learning. Behavior theory attempts to describe environmental influences on behavior, often using controlled studies with laboratory animals. It encompasses historical approaches to formal theorizing, such as those of Clark L. Hull and Kenneth W. Spence, and the operant theory of B. F. Skinner, as well as contemporary approaches to behavior. Also called general behavior theory.