Conceptual Issues in Operant Pscychology

In this book the insights derived from recent philosophy are used for the purpose of examining the theoretical foundations of operant psychology. The book first describes the philosophical tech-niques developed by Wittgenstein, Ryle, Austin, and others. It then goes on to show how, by the use of these techniques, the operant approach can usefully be regarded as a series of proposals for revising some of our main psychological concepts, and how disputes about different versions of behaviourism can be finally resolved. The book also includes a defence of a 'strong' version of operant psychology., a plea for total revision of the concept of punishment, and a detailed answer to the objection that an operant approach is in some way 'soulless' or inhumane. Skinner's views are sympathetically examined, and a new concept, that of an informative stimulus, is introduced in order to call attention to certain distinctive characteristics of human (as opposed to animal) behaviour.