Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. Chapter 1: Human Behavior and Democracy. Quote 12

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Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. Chapter 1: Human Behavior and Democracy. Quote 12

Post author:B. F. Skinner Foundation
Post published:June 10, 2019
Post category:Skinner's Quote of the Day

“The very substitution of positive reinforcement for aversive control is, of course, at the heart of the struggle for freedom.” (p. 10)

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SKINNER'S QUOTE OF THE DAY

Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 6: Special Conditions Affecting Stimulus Control. Quote 7
Reinforcing sounds in the child’s environment provide for the automatic reinforcement of vocal forms. Such sounds need not be verbal; the child is reinforced automatically when he duplicates the sounds of airplanes, streetcars, automobiles, vacuum cleaners, birds, dogs, cats, and so on. But among the sounds which become important are the verbal responses of his parents and others. (p. 164)
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“The very substitution of positive reinforcement for aversive control is, of course, at the heart of the struggle for freedom.” (p. 10)

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