Behaviorism is a learning theory that observes and measures observable behaviors and believes behaviors are shaped through reinforcement and conditioning without regard to internal mental states or processes. It emphasizes memorization, repetition and the use of rewards and punishments to modify behavioral responses, viewing the learner as passive and shaped by environmental stimuli. Influential behaviorist theorists like B.F. Skinner and John B. Watson incorporated behaviorism into education, believing it should shape educational practices through conditioning and that learning involves stimulus-response reinforcement.