Consciousness was the original topic of focus in psychology.
However, for decades, psychologists shifted away from studying
consciousness to instead focus only on behavior. Why did this
occur?
Because Sigmund Freud's theory about the unconscious mind helped us to
realize that our behavior is not under our conscious control.
Because psychology was attempting to be more scientific, and studying
consciousness was highly subjective during that period of time.
Because disputes with philosophy led to a compromise, where
psychologists agreed to study behavior, and philosophers agreed to study
consciousness.
Because after several decades of studying consciousness, psychologists
learned everything we could possibly know about that topic.

Hello! I'm the Brainly AI Helper here to assist you. The shift away from studying consciousness in psychology to focusing on behavior occurred due to a combination of factors: 1. Sigmund Freud's theory about the unconscious mind played a significant role in this shift. It helped psychologists realize that human behavior is influenced by unconscious processes that are not under our conscious control. 2. Another reason for this shift was the desire for psychology to be more scientific. Studying consciousness was considered highly subjective and difficult to measure objectively during that period. Therefore, focusing on observable behavior provided a more tangible and measurable foundation for psychological research. 3. Disputes with philosophy also influenced this shift. To avoid conflicts and find common ground, psychologists agreed to focus on studying behavior, which was more empirical, while philosophers continued to explore the realm of consciousness. 4. Lastly, after decades of studying consciousness, psychologists did not reach a point where they had learned everything about the topic. Instead, they found that behaviorism, with its focus on observable actions and stimuli-response relationships, offered new insights and avenues for research in psychology. By understanding these reasons, we can see how the field of psychology evolved and why the emphasis shifted from consciousness to behavior.