Radical behaviorism is "the established formal designation for B. F. Skinner's philosophy of the science of behavior". The term radical behaviorism is also used to refer to the school of psychology known as the experimental analysis of behavior. Radical behaviorism, as a school of psychology, bears little resemblance to other schools of psychology, differing in the acceptance of mediating structures, the role of private events and emotions, and other areas.
Radical behaviorism has attracted attention since its inception. First, it proposes that all organismic action is determined and not free. However, there are deterministic elements in much of psychology. Second, it is considered to be "anti-theoretical," although this is a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of theory in a radically inductive scientific position, which rejects hypothetico-deductive method.
Read more about Radical Behaviorism: Natural Science, The Basics: Operant Psychology, Common Misunderstandings, Explaining Behavior and The Importance of The Environment, Radical Behaviorism: A Natural Science, Private Events in A Radical Behaviorist Account, Outgrowths
Famous quotes containing the words radical and/or behaviorism:
“Radical Chic, after all, is only radical in Style; in its heart it is part of Society and its traditions—Politics, like Rock, Pop, and Camp, has its uses.”
—Tom Wolfe (b. 1931)
“Some have said that the thesis [of indeterminacy] is a consequence of my behaviorism. Some have said that it is a reductio ad absurdum of my behaviorism. I disagree with this second point, but I agree with the first. I hold further that the behaviorism approach is mandatory. In psychology one may or may not be a behaviorist, but in linguistics one has no choice.”
—Willard Van Orman Quine (b. 1908)