Behaviorism

by John Staddon

The book is a short history of behaviorism, a critique of Skinnerian radical behaviorism, and a proposal for a new theoretical behaviorism. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0715624881
• ISBN13: 9780715624883
• Release Date: February 1993
• Publisher: Duckworth Publishing
• Length: 96 Pages

Customer Reviews

A Review of Behaviorism

This is a good introduction to behaviorism and its history.The book is rather short which is a good thing if you want abrief introduction to the field (or a bad thing if you arelooking for more). Behaviorism is seeing a resurgence in AIrobotics with the work of Brooks and others. Staddon definesenough versions of behaviorism that some of them blend intocognitivism and the distinction becomes blurred. One possibledistinction would have been the presence or absence of internalstate. Watson's and Skinner's behaviorism allowed no state.Cognitive science does. A discussion of state "in the world"(scent trails, etc.) would be an interesting way to work stateinto radical behaviorism. But Staddon allows state in "modernbehaviorism" and his model behaviorist theory is quite simplya finite state machine (automaton). Another possible distinctionmight have been consciousness but this is not explored in anygreat detail in this (short) book. Behaviorism should be ofinterest to AI people. In its more radical forms it representsa minimalist attempt at a theory of intelligence. As such itwould be a good place for AI to begin.

Behaviorism

Behaviorism is an excellent book that lays the foundation for the understanding of radical behaviorism and the principles of modern behaviorism in an entertaining fashion. The text is very philosophical yet very scientific in the discussion of the ever evolving field of one of most important branches of modern psychological thought. This essay easily dispels any and all of the rumors and misconceptions about the two major proponents of the field of Behaviorism being Burrhus Frederic Skinner and John Broadus Watson. Very thought provoking and informative.