I What Is the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and Why Has It Not Become Psychology?.- 1 B. F. Skinner and Behavior Analysis.- 2 The Three Obstacles.- 3 Contemporary Scientific Psychology.- II Relation of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior to Psychology, Science, and Pseudoscience.- 4 Relation to Psychology.- 5 Relation to Science.- 6 Relation to Pseudoscience.- III Implications and Future Prospects.- 7 The Paradox of Behavior Analysis.- 8 The Future of Behavior Analysis.- 9 The Future of Psychology.- References.
In this new volume in Springer-Verlag's series "Recent Research in Psychology", Drs. Proctor and Weeks examine what has long been a "self-asserted superiority" of behavior analysts and Skinnerian researchers. Most behavior-analytic views derive from the philosophy of radical behaviorism, as conceived by B.F. Skinner, and prescribe a "world view" where environmental contingencies determine all aspects of behavior. This view necessarily assumes all other views to be inferior because of its world view, hence, those subscribing to behavior analysis will tolerate no other theory. The Goal of B.F. Skinner and Behavior Analysis examines closely the rationale behind the Skinnerian philosophy, challenging its validity through the author's own research.