Which perspective is concerned mainly with external influences on behavior?

The behavioral perspective focuses primarily on observable behaviors and the ways they can be shaped by environmental influences and external stimuli. This perspective emphasizes the importance of learning through interactions with the environment, which can involve conditioning processes such as reinforcement and punishment. Behaviorists, like B.F. Skinner and John Watson, argue that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning, and they prioritize studying behaviors that can be measured and quantified rather than unobservable mental processes.

While the biological perspective looks at the influence of genetics and physiological processes on behavior, the cognitive perspective emphasizes internal mental processes such as thinking, memory, and problem-solving. The psychodynamic perspective, founded by Freud, explores the influence of unconscious motives and early childhood experiences on behavior, emphasizing internal drives rather than external influences. Therefore, the behavioral perspective is distinctly focused on how external factors shape and influence observable behavior, making it the correct choice.