Understanding Behaviorism explains the basis of behavior analysis and its application to human problems in a scholarly but accessible manner. Behaviorism is defined as the proposition that a science of behavior is possible, and the book begins by exploring the question of whether behavior is free or determined, relating behaviorism to pragmatism, and showing how feelings and thoughts can be treated scientifically. Baum then discusses ancient concepts such as purpose, knowledge, and thought, as well as social problems such as freedom, responsibility, government, and culture. This new edition of a classic work is an invaluable part of the new evolutionary perspective in understanding behavior in general and culture in particular, and culminates by offering practical approaches to improving the lives of all humankind.
Auflage
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Für Beruf und Forschung
undergraduates and graduate students studying behavior analysis
Editions-Typ
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 229 mm
Breite: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-4051-1261-1 (9781405112611)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
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 serves on the Executive Committee for the Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior. He is also president of the Society for the Quantitative Analysis of Behavior.
Part I: What Is Behaviorism?1. Behaviorism: Definition and History.Historical Background.Free Will Versus Determinism.Summary.Further Reading.2. Behaviorism as Philosophy of Science.Realism Versus Pragmatism.Radical Behaviroism and Pragmatism.Summary.Further Reading.3. Public, Private, Natural, and Fictional.Mentalism.Category Mistakes.Private Events.Summary.Further Reading.Part II: A Scientific Model of Behavior.4. Evolutionary Theory and Reinforcemen.Evolutionary History.History of Reinforcement.Summary.Further Reading .5. Purpose and Reinforcement.Hisotry and Function.Three Meanings of Purpose.Summary.Further Reading.6. Stimulus Control and Knowledge.Stimulus Control.Knowledge.The Behavior of Scientists.Summary.Further Reading.7. Verbal Behavior and Language.What Is Verbal Behavior?Functional Units and Stimulus Control.Meaning.Grammar and Syntax.Summary.Further Reading.8. Rule-Governed Behavior and Thinking.What Is Rule-Governed Behavior?Learning To Follow Rules.Thinking and Problem-SolvingSummary.Further Reading.Part III: Social Issues.9. Freedom.Uses of the Word Free.The Challenge of Traditional Thinking.Summary.Further Reading.10. Responsibility, Credit, and Blame.Responsibility and the Causes of Behavior.Responsibility and the Consequences of Behavior.Summary.Further Reading.11. Relationships, Management, and Government.Relationships.Exploitation.Control and Counter-Control.Summary.Further Reading.12. Values: Religion and Science.Questions About Value.A Scientific Approach to Values.Summary.Further Reading.13. The Evolution of Culture.Biological Evolution and Culture.Variation, Transmission, and Selection.Summary.Further Reading.14. Design of Culture: Experimenting for Survival.Design from Evolution.The Experimental Society.Objections.Summary.Further Reading.Index.
