The Psychology of B F Skinner

The Psychology of B F Skinner

by William O'Donohue (Author), Kyle Ferguson (Author)

Synopsis

Behaviourists, or more precisely Skinnerians, commonly consider Skinner's work to have been misrepresented, misunderstood, and to some extent defamed. In this book, the author clarifies the work of B F Skinner, and puts it into historical and philosophical context. Though not a biography, the book discusses Skinner himself, in brief. But the bulk of the book illuminates Skinner's contributions to psychology, his philosophy of science, his experimental research programme (logical positivism) and the behavioural principles that emerged from it, and applied aspects of his work. It also rebuts criticism of Skinner's work, including radical behaviourism, and discusses key developments by others that have derived from it.

As such, the book is a text on behaviourism, rather than on Skinner.

$142.72

Quantity

10 in stock

More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 300
Edition: 1
Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
Published: 15 Mar 2001

ISBN 10: 9780761917
ISBN 13: 9780761917595

Media Reviews

O'Donohue and Ferguson provide an exceptionally clear picture of the breadth, scientific importance, and value to society of the work of the late B.F. Skinner. They include reasons that his work has been criticized and misunderstood. A substantial index, an attractive cover and typeface, and a readable style are bonuses to this exceptionally well-researched, accurate, and fair description of Skinner's work. All collections.

* Choice *
The authors provide a concise overview of the basic principles and methods used by modern behavior analysts, as well as a thorough discussion of the difference between reward and reinforcement and elicited and emitted behavior.
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THE PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORD -- Michael Clayton * The Psychological Record *
Author Bio
William T. O'Donohue is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor of psychology and adjunct professor in the Department of Philosophy at University of Nevada, Reno, and a faculty member of the National Judicial College. He is widely recognized in the field for his proposed innovations in mental health service delivery, in treatment design and evaluation, and in knowledge of empirically supported cognitive behavioral therapies. He is a member of the Association for the Advancement for Behavior Therapy and served on the Board of Directors of this organization. Dr. O'Donohue has published over 50 books and 150 articles in scholarly journals and book chapters. For the past 14 years, he has been director of a free clinic that treats children who have been sexually abused and adults who have been sexually assaulted. Kyle E. Ferguson is pursuing his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. He received a master's degree in behavior analysis from Southern Illinois University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Alberta. He coauthored a previous book, Working Through Anger, and two manuals, Working Through Anger: Therapist's Manual and A Practitioner's Guide to Behavioral-Medical Interventions. He coauthored the recent Sage book, The Psychology of B.F. Skinner (2001) with William O'Donohue.