To be consistent the psychologist must deal with his own verbal practices by developing an empirical science of verbal behavior. He cannot, unfortunately, join the logician in defining a definition, for example, as a “rule for the use of a term” (Feigl); he must turn instead to the contingencies of reinforcement which account for the functional relation between a term, as a verbal response, and a given stimulus. This is the “operational basis” for his use of terms; and it is not logic but science. (p. 426)
Cumulative Record. Chapter 28: The Operational Analysis of Psychological Terms. Quote 42
- Post author:B. F. Skinner Foundation
- Post published:December 21, 2023
- Post category:Skinner's Quote of the Day