Understanding Behaviorism : Behavior, Culture, and Evolution

by Baum, William M.

• ISBN13: 9781405112628
• ISBN10: 140511262X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-27
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Understanding Behaviorism explains the basis of behavior analysis and its application to human problems in a scholarly but accessible manner. Only book available that both explains behavior analysis and deals with philosophical and practical problems. Makes behaviorism accessible and explains the basis of behavior analysis and its application to human problems. Treats the ancient concepts of purpose, knowledge, language, and thought as well as modern social problems like freedom, responsibility, government, and culture. Offers practical approaches to improving the lives of all humankind. Includes suggestions for further reading.

Author Biography

William M. Baum is Professor Emeritus at the University of New Hampshire and has appointments at the University of California, Davis and at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is an associate editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and President of the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition	xi
Part One: What Is Behaviorism?	1	(60)
Behaviorism: Definition and History	3	(17)
Historical Background	4	(8)
From Philosophy to Science	4	(3)
Objective Psychology	7	(1)
Comparative Psychology	8	(1)
Early Behaviorism	9	(3)
Free Will versus Determinism	12	(5)
Definitions	12	(1)
Arguments For and Against Free Will	13	(4)
Summary	17	(2)
Further Reading	19	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 1	19	(1)
Behaviorism As Philosophy of Science	20	(16)
Realism versus Pragmatism	20	(10)
Realism	20	(3)
Pragmatism	23	(7)
Radical Behaviorism and Pragmatism	30	(3)
Summary	33	(2)
Further Reading	35	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 2	35	(1)
Public, Private, Natural, and Fictional	36	(25)
Mentalism	36	(8)
Public and Private Events	37	(1)
Natural Events	37	(1)
Natural, Mental, and Fictional	38	(2)
Objections to Mentalism	40	(4)
Category Mistakes	44	(7)
Ryle and the Para-Mechanical Hypothesis	45	(2)
Rachlin's Molar Behaviorism	47	(4)
Private Events	51	(7)
Private Behavior	52	(4)
Self-Knowledge and Consciousness	56	(2)
Summary	58	(1)
Further Reading	59	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 3	60	(1)
Part Two: A Scientific Model of Behavior	61	(120)
Evolutionary Theory and Reinforcement	63	(24)
Evolutionary History	63	(14)
Natural Selection	64	(2)
Reflexes and Fixed Action Patterns	66	(5)
Reinforcers and Punishers	71	(5)
Overview of Phylogenetic Influences	76	(1)
History of Reinforcement	77	(7)
Selection by Consequences	77	(4)
Historical Explanations	81	(3)
Summary	84	(1)
Further Reading	85	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 4	86	(1)
Purpose and Reinforcement	87	(20)
History and Function	87	(7)
Using Historical Explanations	88	(2)
Functional Units	90	(4)
Three Meanings of Purpose	94	(10)
Purpose As Function	94	(1)
Purpose As Cause	95	(6)
Purpose As Feeling: Self-Reports	101	(3)
Summary	104	(1)
Further Reading	105	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 5	106	(1)
Stimulus Control and Knowledge	107	(22)
Stimulus Control	108	(5)
Discriminative Stimuli	108	(2)
Extended Sequences and Discriminative Stimuli	110	(1)
Discrimination	111	(2)
Knowledge	113	(10)
Procedural Knowledge: Knowing How	114	(2)
Declarative Knowledge: Knowing About	116	(3)
Self-Knowledge	119	(4)
The Behavior of Scientists	123	(3)
Observation and Discrimination	123	(1)
Scientific Knowledge	124	(1)
Pragmatism and Contextualism	125	(1)
Summary	126	(1)
Further Reading	127	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 6	128	(1)
Verbal Behavior and Language	129	(30)
What Is Verbal Behavior?	129	(12)
Communication	129	(1)
Verbal Behavior As Operant Behavior	130	(1)
Speaker and Listener	131	(4)
Examples	135	(4)
Verbal Behavior versus Language	139	(2)
Functional Units and Stimulus Control	141	(6)
Verbal Activities As Functional Units	141	(1)
Stimulus Control of Verbal Behavior	142	(2)
Common Misunderstandings	144	(3)
Meaning	147	(6)
Reference Theories	147	(2)
Meaning As Use	149	(4)
Grammar and Syntax	153	(2)
Rules As Descriptions	153	(2)
Where Are the Rules?	155	(1)
Summary	155	(2)
Further Reading	157	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 7	158	(1)
Rule-Governed Behavior and Thinking	159	(22)
What Is Rule-Governed Behavior?	159	(12)
Rule-Governed versus Implicitly Shaped Behavior	160	(2)
Rules: Orders, Instructions, and Advice	162	(4)
Always Two Relations	166	(5)
Learning to Follow Rules	171	(2)
Shaping Rule-Following	172	(1)
Where Are the Rules?	172	(1)
Thinking and Problem-Solving	173	(5)
Changing Stimuli	174	(3)
Precurrent Behavior	177	(1)
Summary	178	(1)
Further Reading	179	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 8	180	(1)
Part Three: Social Issues	181	(125)
Freedom	183	(17)
Uses of the Word Free	183	(14)
Being Free: Free will	183	(1)
Feeling Free: Political and Social Freedom	184	(10)
Spiritual Freedom	194	(3)
The Challenge of Traditional Thinking	197	(1)
Summary	198	(1)
Further Reading	199	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 9	199	(1)
Responsibility, Credit, and Blame	200	(13)
Responsibility and the Causes of Behavior	200	(5)
Free Will and the Visibility of Control	201	(1)
Assigning Credit and Blame	202	(1)
Compassion and Control	203	(2)
Responsibility and the Consequences of Behavior	205	(5)
What Is Responsibility?	205	(2)
Practical Considerations: The Need for Control	207	(3)
Summary	210	(1)
Further Reading	211	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 10	212	(1)
Relationships, Management, and Government	213	(24)
Relationships	213	(5)
Mutual Reinforcement	214	(2)
Individuals and Organizations	216	(2)
Exploitation	218	(8)
The ``Happy Slave''	219	(1)
Long-Term Consequences	220	(1)
Comparative Well-Being	221	(5)
Control and Counter-Control	226	(8)
Counter-Control	226	(3)
Equity	229	(1)
Power	230	(2)
Democracy	232	(2)
Summary	234	(1)
Further Reading	235	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 11	236	(1)
Values: Religion and Science	237	(18)
Questions about Value	237	(5)
Moral Relativism	238	(1)
Ethical Standards	238	(4)
A Scientific Approach to Values	242	(10)
Reinforcers and Punishers	243	(2)
Feelings	245	(2)
Evolutionary Theory and Values	247	(5)
Summary	252	(2)
Further Reading	254	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 12	254	(1)
The Evolution of Culture	255	(30)
Biological Evolution and Culture	256	(10)
Replicators and Fitness	256	(2)
Societies	258	(2)
Definition of Culture	260	(2)
Traits for Culture	262	(4)
Variation, Transmission, and Selection	266	(15)
Variation	266	(6)
Transmission	272	(4)
Selection	276	(5)
Summary	281	(2)
Further Reading	283	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 13	284	(1)
Design of Culture: Experimenting for Survival	285	(21)
Design from Evolution	286	(5)
Selective Breeding	286	(1)
Evaluation	287	(1)
Survival As a Standard	287	(3)
Guided Variation	290	(1)
The Experimental Society	291	(6)
Experimenting	291	(1)
Democracy	292	(1)
Happiness	293	(2)
Walden Two: Skinner's Vision	295	(2)
Objections	297	(6)
Summary	303	(2)
Further Reading	305	(1)
Terms Introduced in Chapter 14	305	(1)
Index	306