Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. Chapter 6: The Steep and Thorny Way to a Science of Behavior. Quote 13

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Reflections on Behaviorism and Society. Chapter 6: The Steep and Thorny Way to a Science of Behavior. Quote 13

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

“Even when helpful, an observed or hypothetical inner determiner is no explanation of behavior until it has itself been explained, and the fascination with an inner life has allayed curiosity about the further steps to be taken.” (p. 77)

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SKINNER'S QUOTE OF THE DAY

Verbal Behavior: Extended Edition. Chapter 8: The Verbal Operant as a Unit of Analysis. Quote 5
The pathological condition of verbal behavior called aphasia often emphasizes functional differences which are hard to understand in terms of the traditional account … The aphasic has lost some of the functional relationships which control his verbal behavior. A response of a given form may no longer be under the control of one functional relation, although it is still under the control of another. (p. 190)
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“Even when helpful, an observed or hypothetical inner determiner is no explanation of behavior until it has itself been explained, and the fascination with an inner life has allayed curiosity about the further steps to be taken.” (p. 77)

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