A philosophy of science perspective on the quantitative analysis of behavior.

Abstract:

:B.F. Skinner argued that the science of behavior would progress more rapidly without appealing to theories of learning. He also suggested that theories in a quite different sense were possible, but that the science of behavior as of 1950 was not ready for them. The following analysis distinguishes between Skinner's two concepts of theory. It argues that theory in the second sense has arisen in the quantitative analysis of behavior. The attempt to give a dynamic account of the static regularities of this theory, however, has produced a theory in the first sense. Within its limited domain, this theory offers a rigorous alternative to cognitive accounts of behavior. Rather than distracting attention from actual behavior, it has now led to novel predictions about it. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'SQAB 2014'.

journal_name

Behav Processes

journal_title

Behavioural processes

authors

Smith TL

doi

10.1016/j.beproc.2015.02.005

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2015-05-01 00:00:00

pages

78-81

eissn

0376-6357

issn

1872-8308

pii

S0376-6357(15)00050-9

journal_volume

114

pub_type

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