Which concept associates behavior with reinforcement and punishment?

Behaviorism is the concept that directly associates behavior with reinforcement and punishment. This psychological perspective emphasizes that all behaviors are learned through interactions with the environment, where reinforcement can increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, while punishment can decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. Behaviorists, such as B.F. Skinner, focused on observable behaviors and the ways that stimuli can influence these behaviors, thus applying the principles of operant conditioning—reinforcements increase behavior and punishments decrease behavior.

In contrast, social cognitive theory incorporates broader factors, such as observational learning and cognitive processes, rather than exclusively focusing on reinforcement and punishment. Humanistic psychology emphasizes individual growth and personal potential, which does not primarily address the mechanisms of behavior modification through reinforcement or punishment. Evolutionary psychology seeks to understand psychological adaptations and behaviors from an evolutionary perspective, focusing more on the role of natural selection over time rather than immediate behavioral changes due to reinforcement or punishment.