About Behaviorism, Chapter 11: The Self and Others, Quote 17

Post author:B. F. Skinner Foundation
Post published:August 1, 2017
Post category:Skinner's Quote of the Day

“. . . one person does not make direct contact with the inside of another, and so-called knowledge of another is often simply an ability to predict what he will do.” (p.189)

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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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“. . . one person does not make direct contact with the inside of another, and so-called knowledge of another is often simply an ability to predict what he will do.” (p.189)

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