About Behaviorism, Chapter 10: The Inner World of Motivation and Emotion, Quote 2

Post author:B. F. Skinner Foundation
Post published:June 22, 2017
Post category:Skinner's Quote of the Day

“Freud’s analysis has seemed convincing because of its universality, but it is the environmental contingencies rather than the psyche which are invariant.” (p. 167)

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SKINNER'S QUOTE OF THE DAY

Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 4: Verbal Behavior under the Control of Verbal Stimuli. Quote 16
Echoic responses are useful and reinforced when they serve as fill-ins. In answer to the question What will happen to the international situation during the next few weeks? the student may begin During the next few weeks, the international situation…, which may be purely echoic but, especially if the situation demands speed, self-reinforcing if it provides a breathing space for the composition of the rest of the sentence. (p. 57)
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“Freud’s analysis has seemed convincing because of its universality, but it is the environmental contingencies rather than the psyche which are invariant.” (p. 167)

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