Behaviouralism is a modern approach in political science that emerged as a response to the limitations

of traditional, institutional, and normative methods. Instead of focusing on political institutions like
parliaments or courts, behaviouralism examines how individuals actually behave in political contexts—
what they do, how they think, and why they act the way they do. The goal was to make political science
more scientific, empirical, and objective, similar to the natural sciences.

Behaviouralism first gained popularity after World War II, especially in the United States, and quickly
became influential in other areas of the social sciences like sociology and public administration. It has
shaped how we study politics today, emphasizing observation, data collection, testing hypotheses, and
rejecting value judgments that can't be proven scientifically.

Main Tenets (Core Principles) of Behaviouralism

David Easton, one of the most influential behaviouralists, outlined eight key assumptions or "articles of
faith" that define the behavioural approach. Let’s discuss each of them in simple terms:

1. Regularities

Behaviouralism believes that human political behaviour shows patterns or regularities. Although people
are different, in similar political situations, many people behave in predictable ways. For example,
people may consistently vote for a certain type of candidate or react similarly to an economic crisis.
Studying these patterns allows researchers to make general rules or theories that help explain and
predict political actions.

2. Verification

The behavioural approach stresses the importance of testing. Any theory or idea must be supported by
evidence. If you say something about political behaviour, you must be able to test it and prove it using
facts. This is what makes behaviouralism scientific. It avoids personal opinions or assumptions that can't
be verified.

3. Techniques

Behaviouralists use scientific methods and research tools to study political behaviour. This includes
methods like surveys, interviews, statistics, experiments, and data analysis. These tools help researchers
gather accurate and comparable information from the real world.

4. Quantification

Quantification means converting observations into numbers or data. This allows researchers to measure
political behaviour, like how many people support a law or how voting behaviour changes over time.
Numbers make it easier to compare and analyze findings scientifically.

5. Value-Free Research
Behaviouralism insists that researchers should be neutral and objective. They should not mix their
personal values or political opinions with their research. This separates facts from values. For example,
instead of saying “democracy is the best system,” a behavioural scientist would ask, “What conditions
lead people to support democracy?”.

6. Systematization

Research should be systematic and organized. There must be a clear link between theories, data
collection, and conclusions. This ensures that every part of the research is connected and meaningful.
Researchers should carefully plan how they collect data and build theories based on that data.

7. Pure Science

Behaviouralism tries to make political science similar to natural sciences like biology or physics. It aims
to explain and predict political behaviour through scientific principles. The more we understand
regularities in human behaviour, the more we can develop general laws about politics.

8. Integration

This approach encourages interdisciplinary study. Political behaviour is not isolated—it is influenced by
economics, psychology, sociology, and culture. So, political science should be connected to other social
sciences to fully understand how people behave politically.

Relevance of Behaviouralism to Contemporary Social Science Research

Behaviouralism still holds significant relevance in today's research, though it has also faced criticism.
Here's a critical analysis of its contribution and limitations in the modern context:

1. Making Political Science Scientific

One of the biggest contributions of behaviouralism is that it turned political science into a more
scientific discipline. It moved away from vague ideas and focused on evidence-based research. Today,
researchers rely heavily on data, surveys, statistical tools, and models to study political behaviour such
as voter turnout, opinion polls, leadership styles, and policy impact.

2. Application in Real-World Problems

Behaviouralism has practical value. It helps in policy making, political campaigns, public administration,
and understanding social change. For instance, studying how people respond to political messages can
improve election strategies or help governments design better awareness programs.

3. Development of New Subfields

Thanks to behaviouralism, many new subfields have developed such as:

Political Psychology,Voting Behaviour,Political Communication,Public Opinion Analysis

Criticisms of Behaviouralism

Despite its strengths, behaviouralism has faced various criticisms:

1. Overemphasis on Numbers and Data

Critics argue that behaviouralists often focus too much on what can be measured, ignoring important
things like values, ethics, ideology, and culture. Some aspects of human behaviour are difficult to
quantify but still important—for example, moral beliefs or political ideologies.

2. Ignores Power and Structure

Behaviouralism mostly studies individual behaviour but often ignores broader power structures, such as
how institutions or elites shape political outcomes. This has led to calls for a more holistic approach that
includes both structure and behaviour.

3. Positivist Limitations

Behaviouralism is rooted in positivism, which holds that only things that can be observed and tested are
meaningful. But many social science researchers argue that this is too restrictive and dismisses valuable
insights from normative and interpretive traditions.

4. Rise of Post-Behaviouralism

In response to these criticisms, post-behaviouralism emerged. This movement acknowledged the value
of empirical research but emphasized that political science should also consider values, justice, and
social relevance. Scholars realized that pure scientific detachment may not always help solve real-world
problems like poverty, inequality, or injustice.

Conclusion: Is Behaviouralism Still Useful Today?

Yes, behaviouralism remains highly relevant in contemporary social science research, especially when
combined with newer approaches. It has improved the scientific quality, precision, and objectivity of
research in political science and related fields. It has also inspired useful tools and models that are still in
use.

However, no single method is perfect. Behaviouralism's emphasis on facts and data must be balanced
with ethical, cultural, and human considerations, which are often addressed by normative theories and
post-behaviouralist perspectives.