Final answer:
The first wave of behavioral therapies focused on observable behaviors and environmental factors in shaping personality and psychopathology.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the field of behavioral therapies, the first wave of behaviorism heavily influenced the theories of personality and psychopathology. This approach focused on observable and measurable behaviors, and it disregarded internal mental processes. According to Behaviorists, personality was believed to be shaped through conditioning and learning. As a result, the theories of personality in behavioral therapies emphasized the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior.
For example, B.F. Skinner, a leading figure in behaviorism, proposed that personality is a collection of learned behaviors that are reinforced or punished by the environment. He argued that psychopathology can be understood and treated through behavior modification techniques that aim to change maladaptive behaviors by altering the environmental contingencies that reinforce them.
Overall, the first wave of behavioral therapies focused on understanding and changing behavior by manipulating environmental factors rather than delving into unconscious processes or internal conflicts, as emphasized in other theories of personality and psychopathology like Freud's psychodynamic perspective.